ScarTail: Book Of Apoltis
by Golden Gecko
Summary: In this first book - Some 30 years before the Oblivion Crisis - The young renegade Shadowscale befreinds a small imperial child on the run from daedra and an evil wizard. All OCs except for the main character.
1. The Inn Of Ill Omen

The rain pounded the inn hard and furious as night had claimed the world. It made the roof slick and glisten in the glow of firelight. The roof was finely crafted straw and was matted securely to the wooden boards on the inside so no rain could get into the patrons below the roof.

Two wall torches glowed brightly on both sides of the entrance to the hospitable building. The wet stone of the inn reflected the light with crystal clarity and made it shimmer in the darkness all the more. Even a small wooden fenced area could be seen from the light of the right wall torch. At least six horses were corralled there all with some owner. Most of them were chestnut stallions, carefree and grazing on wet grass apparently not affected by the tumultuous amounts of rain.

One could not be seen though. A black mare from Skingrad. At least, that's where honestly bought black horses came from. She seemed to be waiting for something. The rain affected her even less then the others. She seemed to actually enjoy it. She was not grazing like the rest though. Her owner had a small bag of oats strapped to her. She would only eat oats and only from her master.

Also, past this wooden barrier, was a small range for practicing archery. Just two straw targets lay with about three or four arrows expertly jutting out of them. The arrows were put there by one of the occupants of the inn.

A small wooden sign hung above a decorative wooden door at the front of the inn. It read: The Inn Of Ill Omen. Below the words was a painted black crow. The inn had just opened and business was good. Quite a bit of people were in the inn either drinking and chatting away with their fellow compatriots or were sound asleep in nice soft straw beds. There were about six rooms and four of them were occupied.

Night had been over the land for more then two hours now and quite a bit had happened to the small, ragged imperial child standing just outside the inn. He was panting hard and flew right inside soaking wet with rain water. He was cloaked in a small, black robe that his mother had given him to keep him safe. It was pure black so it blended in nicely with the darkness of night.

He and his mother had fled from his home village of Hackdirt. He had lost her at Gottlesfont Priory though. From there, he had to trek through the dark Great Forrest by himself for nights and days. He had avoided a few ogres and some wolves. Most of all though, he felt that he had lost the dremora hunting him down.

When he entered into the inn, his eyes were attacked by the bright light of the interior. He removed the small hood on the robe and stood still until his eyes adjusted to the light.

His hair was wild and untamed upon his head and its sandy blonde color was now almost pure white due to all the light in the main area of the inn. He quickly hoped that the proprietor, who was a nice looking nord man, didn't notice he was a child and figured him for a fully grown male. He could only pass himself off as a short, male wood elf though so he propped the hood back upon his head.

He scanned the room while the friendly nord in front of him was washing out a wooden mug behind some kind of counter. He had not noticed the small imperial boy, not yet anyway.

The boy observed the room being quite cautious of all the occupants. In front of the nord and in front of him as well, were two drunken imperial men. They were chatting about the king and other things that were rather irrelevant. To his left, just past a table of four mean looking hooligans, was a staircase that probably lead up to some rooms above. On the staircase sat a lonely looking Red Guard female. She had quite the body which made the boy wonder why she was alone.

At the table of the four, sat two drunken dark elves, a not so friendly looking nord, and a frightening looking khajiit. He seemed to be the leader wearing a glass helmet with matching armor and had a daedric claymore sword on his back. His compatriots were in mediocre armor. Any knight worth his steel could easily take out the three that sat with him but the khajiit looked more then skilled. He seemed rather quiet as he sipped his logger while his companions slugged down their beverages and loudly talked about their misadventures. Predominately with defenseless housemaids from Chorrol and Anvil alike.

They made the boy sneer in disgust but he dared not to let them know it. He was not skilled in the arts of combat either in magika or actual weapons. He could not look at anyone for more then two seconds for fear of being seen for a youngster. He just hoped and prayed to Akatosh himself that he was being taken as just some lonely wood elf that didn't want to be disturbed. He thought to himself that if he had a bow over his shoulder he could have pulled this hoax off much better.

He need some place to stay though. He had to stay safe from the hunters after him. He had some gold with him but that put him more in danger. If he did not have enough then he would have to go back outside but if he did have enough, he figured that the four at the table to his left would definitely be all over him. The boy might have been young but he was also very well endowed with the ability to tell about certain people. Mostly what they did for a living and he knew that the four that sat at the table did not stay with in the boundaries of the law to make their gold.

Bosmers were known to be wealthy. Not as wealthy as high elves but certainly able to ascertain money quite effectively. Especially if they were rangers like he was trying to present himself as.

Not to mention the rather cumbersome object that he also carried with him. That, more then anything, scarred him of being taken away. This particular object had been given to him by his mother just a few nights ago when she had passed away. Like the cloak, it was near and dear to his heart. Hopefully the bandits would not notice it but he figured that too was a hope in vain.

He walked past the two drunken imperials and glanced once again at the female Red Guard. He came right up to the counter where the friendly nord was still cleaning his wooden mug. The boy cleared his throat and the nord jumped back about five feet. The boy himself was a little shocked. Nords were a tough, resilient people but this strange male nord seemed to be as harmless as a lamb. That or he just presented himself as such.

The nord looked down at the boy who was still cloaked in black and said, "Hey, you spooked me their friend. Welcome to the Inn Of Ill Omen. I'm the proprietor of this fine inn, Manheim Maulhand. How can I assist you stranger?"

The boy had to give a look of confused surprise. He dare not show his face though. Not only did this nord speak very well (for his kind that is rare) but also was polite. Extremely rare. The boy was not cautious of this nord male though. He could tell he was in no danger from him. The four at the table though were giving him quite the lump in his throat however.

He cleared his throat again and was afraid to speak. He deepened his voice and as he spoke, a hundred visuals of bad consequences stringed through his mind. "I'd like a room, please."

The nord kind of retracted his head a bit but ignored the weird little sounding wood elf. "Okay, that will be ten gold. The room is up stairs, first door to your left. How about it?"

The boy now bit his lower lip. He had the gold but he was scarred to whip out that much gold in front of all these people. The four at the table especially. Unfortunately, his dremora hunters scared him a lot more then the thugs at the table. He reached into his coin purse and produced the gold.

When the money hit the wooden counter, he could have sworn he heard a murmur from the table. He began to shake as his hand retracted from the gold on the counter he had laid out for the nord.

The nord was such a concerned being that he had to ask, "Hey, are you alright?"

Again, the boy tried to deepen his voice and made up some story that would accompany a wood elf ranger. "Oh, yes. Quite. Just these damn woods. Damn ogres got me a little shaky."

He winced when he realized he had just made a big mistake! If he was going to pull off a Bosmer ranger he should have remembered that wood elves don't cuss that much. Especially the ones that spent quite a bit of time in the woods like rangers. They spent their time getting acquainted with nature and had no need for such obscenities in their vocabulary. He was talking more like an imperial ranger.

The boy could only pull his hood down in a polite gesture and began to walk away from the counter. He just hoped that this concerned nord could learn his place fast and he could get to his room and try to sneak out in the morning.

The boy was going on pure instinct and he had just been lead to an extreme dead end. For as he turned around to head for the steps, he was stopped by a huge figure. The boy's mind could only shout out, 'Glass armor! Now what?'

Indeed it was the terrifying khajiit from the table and he had his low ranking companions there with him. The boy could only moan softly to himself with utter fear.

The khajiit looked him over and said with this voice that made him all the more intense. "You do not fool me, boy!"

He reached out towards the boy and flipped his hood off his head. The boy could only look up at his now present obstacle. His face was etched in fear and his eyes blistered with the feeling of oncoming tears. He wondered if there was someway out of this but he saw none. He was doomed.

Manheim, the friendly nord behind the counter, went to pull his steel short sword but he was suddenly stopped by one of the dark elves with the khajiit. A dagger was placed right under his chin and pressed deep into his throat. The dark elf just sloppily said, "Move and die." there was a massive hiccup that came from the dunmmer after but even at the poor condition he was in, Manheim knew he didn't stand a shot against these murderous bandits. Even if he was able to take one down, he was in trouble against the other three.

Even if he was able to somehow get away from the remaining three, run up the stairs, and wake the imperial ranger/knight that was sound asleep above; there was no guarantee that the boy would be saved. Besides, they already knew about him and they were acting like they did not care.

The menacing khajiit stood over the boy and reached out with his paw wide open. "The gold, if you please."

The boy could only look shamefully at the floor. He rubbed his arm trying to act sheepishly, "That was all I had!" He now said in the most scared voice he could muster. He knew that sympathy would get him nowhere but he had to try something. Anything! He needed what little gold he had left to survive.

The khajiit let out this low growl of frustration and removed his daedric claymore from his back and, in both paws, began to twirl it. Looking at the demonic blade he said to the boy, "I'm going to count backwards from three, kid. If I don't have some kind of payment in my hands by the time I get to one, I am going to cut you into five different pieces and lick the tender meat right off your bones!"

The boy's face twisted in terror. Khajiits were known for this kind of brutal barbarism. He knew they were especially fond of imperials. That or he was just overreacting. Maybe the khajiit would just kill him and take the gold after he was dead. Neither scenario sound appealing though.

"Three."

The boy's mind was jumbled with hellish thoughts and pictures of gruesome deaths that could be inflicted with just a single swipe of the daedric weapon.

"Two."

The khajiit prepared to cut the boy right in half. The boy just looked around for some kind of savior. Even his hunters would be a welcomed sight right now. He bent down on his knees and began to pray to Akatosh for some kind of save. Anything would do! He would take a horse going crazy, some kind of ogre stampede, one goblin berserker would be a cause for silent celebration.

As he prayed, he could hear the disapproval of the female red guard at the edge of the steps. "He's just a child, damn flea bag! Does this make you feel more like a warrior? Killing a kid?"

The khajiit didn't take his cat eyes off the boy when he said, "Well, I do know that after I'm done with my meal here, I'm going to want dessert."

No sooner did he say that, the nord with him grabbed the female red guard and held her up against the wall. She was pinned and began to shed a few tears for the child. "Oh Akatosh, how could you let this happen?" The red guard female screamed out.

The boy had been through a lot in the past few days. He was now only going to end-up a dead hunk of meat at the end of this fur ball's demonic sword. He continued to pray to Akatosh for some kind of help but none was going to come. He knew as soon as he held his dying mother in his arms, he was forsaken!

"One!"

The boy had not noticed the person sitting at the table to the right of the entrance. A small, little nook that laid just slightly off to the side of the main door. All the people in the bar had forgotten the person behind the table. His reptilian eyes thinned out when he saw the four bandits sit up from their table and harass the boy. His scaly, dark-golden hands went under the table and he eased up from the chair he was sitting at. His tail slipped out with his body and slowly whipped to the left. It then went back to a rested position behind him. He was cloaked in black just like the boy only his was armor and it was a dark, colorless, enchanted leather. Darker then the darkest night. Lighter then leather and six times thicker. It was Dark Brotherhood armor. Not one given to a lowly grunt either. The armor given to a Dark Brotherhood silencer. One of two things were absolutely true about this male argonian: Either he was a Dark Brotherhood silencer or had killed one and taken the armor. Either way, it confirmed that he was nobody to even be looked at wrong.

The khajiit's disposition had more then upset him. He walked quietly and elusively over to the group. He could easily slay the three grunts with the khajiit and save the monstrous cat for last but this argonian was trained in the art of Shadowscale. The deadly art of a Black Marsh royal assassin. If anything, he knew he had to takeout the highly trained leader first. 'Teams, groups, armies all move with the same style of one living thing. Your job is to make that living thing dead! Cut the head off and the body will die.' That was one of the basics of his training. It was how you took out groups of trained elite men. It was drilled deep into his head.

The argonian's voice was rough and very snake-like. A lot of hissing when coming to an S sound. That was every argonian but when he spoke, his voice was different. Almost like a darker more sinister voice then most other argonians. His voice stemmed from plenty of battles and hunts. His hissing sounded deep and evil. Like a rattlesnake from the deepest regions of Oblivion. "Ssso, like to scare little kids, huh?"

The khajiit turned around with an almost unbelieving face. His cat eyes went thin and he bared his teeth in a very menacing snarl. He could not believe that someone had the actual nerves to come upon him and speak in such a manor. In a firm tone of voice he said, "Stay out of my business argonian and I may make your death a little more pleasant."

The argonian just sneered under his black hood and hissed out, "It is you who is going to die."

The khajiit was now staring down the reptilian warrior and tried to focus in on his eyes. The hood above the argonian's head though made that impossible.

The khajiit again threatened the argonian. This time moving in for the kill after he finished. "You'll make a nice pair of boots, lizard!"

Going in for the kill, the cat brute swung the claymore back behind him and was going to slash at the seemingly weak lizard man. Moving with such quickness for hauling such a huge weapon, the bandit leader handled it with great skill.

The argonian could tell that this khajiit was trained in combat but seemed to be very sloppy about. He could tell that this was going to be an easy victory.

Bringing the huge sword up and then down, slashing through the air with ferociousness and strength to match five ogres. The end of the blade slammed the wooden floor and the impact made such a force that most of the tables and chairs in the inn were moved by the smallest hair. The bandit cat thought he had sliced the black cloaked argonian in half but then he felt this tremendous pain in his stomach. He slowly moved his eyes downward towards his mid-section, just to glair at the argonian's hand firmly wrapped around an elfin dagger. It pierced right through his light glass armor like it was not even there. The argonian then ripped the dagger from out of his stomach and stood tall in front of the hunched over khajiit warrior.

The big cat grabbed his wound and dropped his deadric claymore to the ground. He dropped to his knees and looked up at the argonian with rage in his eyes. With his dying breath he uttered two simple words to his surviving band. "Get him!"

The leader then fell face first down to the wooden floor dead. His glass armor making quite the ruckus when he hit along with his other equipment.

The quiet argonian put back his bloody dagger and produced two, silver, short-swords that seemed to glow this ambient red. He spun both of the silver swords in his hands and as the three remaining criminals were still in shock at the death of their feline leader. The argonian spun his entire body quickly around ending up down on one knee leaving a huge gapping wound in the dark elf closest to the corpse of the fallen khajiit. The dark elf held his bloody wound and fell to his knees coming face-to-face with his reptilian attacker.

The Shadow Scale spun upward off of his bent knee and planted his other silver short-sword deep in the head of the already dying bandit. The sword was buried almost to the hilt in the skull of the dark elf as the now dead elf's eyes rolled into the top of his head.

The argonian assassin quickly removed the sword from the top of his recent victim and proceed to the next, letting the other fall to the floor in a crumpled, heavy heap of lifeless and motionless clutter.

Going for the next dunmmer in an almost gliding motion from the first to the next. Before the dead body of the surviving dark elf's compatriot hit the floor, half his arm holding the dagger to Manheim's throat went flying into the wall and made a bloody splat.

The dark elf crumpled up into a fetal position and dropped to the floor where his heart was pierced by one of the silver swords in the argonian's hands. Again, this perfect killer made sure his victim was indeed dead.

The bandit nord had released the female red guard from his grip and was now back against the wall. His breathing was asthmatic and his skin was glistening with sweat. His fear seemed to escape every pore and the aroma entered the argonian's nostrils making him sniff at the air like a hungry, scaled wolf. Raising his head slightly to take a pleasing whiff of the nord's paralyzing fright.

The reptile ripped the sword from the dead dark elf's chest fast as lighting and had it at the nord's throat faster then anybody at the inn could see the sword move. It was nothing more then a silver blur before it touched the meaty throat of the nord. The nord bandit swallowed hard as his Adam's Apple hit the point of the sword. He looked at the argonian killer, pleading for his life. He had never know fear until now. He had plowed through all enemies like an ogre high on Hist. However, not only had he not been able to save his compatriots but he stared death in the face and the killer argonian was keen on letting him know it.

The argonian edged closer driving the point of his sword slightly deeper into the nord's throat drawing blood. His reptilian eyes locked on the nord's. His hood and black armor seemed to be apart of his body as any part of his being. His swords didn't even seem to have an end as if they too seemingly were a part of his naturally born, scale-covered anatomy. His armor, his weapons, and body were one. One with murder.

The nord began to shake as that reptilian voice escaped the argonian's lips, "Look deeply into my eyes, bandit. Know death before I sink my blade deep into your throat. This youngster you would have sentenced to slaughter will continue to live long and prosper while your body becomes feed for the beasts of Oblivion!"

A blast of blood came from the nord's throat as the sword was jutted deep into his neck. He gurgled a little blood from his mouth and then fell limply onto the floor slowly sliding off the sword's blade and a pool of red blood ever increasing from the wound in his neck.

Everyone at the inn looked on in a shock-filled fright. Not one of them knowing if they were next or not. The assassin moved with such a feral quickness that not one person was willing to go upstairs and wake the sleeping imperial ranger. Even if they were to somehow make a quick retreat up the stairs and disturb the ranger, it was a low chance that even he could deal with such a ferocious adversary.

The deadly argonian returned both blades under his armor and slowly turned his gaze to the child. The small boy retracted back in fear of his seemingly blood thirsty savior. He had no idea what to make of the long gaze that the argonian was giving him. He shriveled up into a small cowering position, daring not to move for fear of the Shadowscale's reaction.

The argonian took a step towards the youngster forcing the child to take a meek step back. Cocking his head slightly he blinked his slit eyes with curiousness. He then bent down on one knee and motioned the boy to come closer. "Come over here boy. I wish to know you better."

The boy made a sliding step closer to the reptile but still was in his frightened repose.

"Closer." That same hissing voice slithered out with a slight savagery to it and the boy dared not to make the assassin mad. So this time he took two sliding steps towards the argonian but dared not to look him in the eyes for fear that maybe they would turn him to stone or maybe one of the other eighty horrible outcomes he had churning in his mind.

The argonian looked him over and could smell the overwhelming fear coming from the boy. The argonian was slightly sadden by this. However, he was use to people being terrified of his mere presence. What sadden him the most was that he was trying to help the boy and he was still scared of him. On the other hand, he still understood that the child was young and maybe he had never seen an argonian before. It comes as quite a shock to anybody the first time they see one of his kind. Especially one who killed four people rather quickly just as easily as killing a few buzzing flies or annoying mud-crabs.

He outstretched a finger and touched the boy's cheek with one of his black claws. The claw lightly slid on the boy's face and off. The argonian asked, "Have you been crying boy?"

The boy's eyes glanced quickly at the reptilian assassin and then back down at the floor. He had no idea what to say. He wondered what the right answer was, if there was a right answer. "For sometime now." The boy finally decided to say.

The argonian still had his head cocked not only with curiosity but also civility. Trying to make himself look just a bit more docile. Asking at that time, "What is your name?"

The boy this time looked up at the assassin and did not take his eyes off of the reptile. He wondered if he should give this scaled menace his name. Then he decided what harm would it do? This argonian was not one of the ones trying to kill him. He just hoped it wouldn't change afterwards. "Apoltis. Jacob Apoltis."

The argonian had a smile cross his face and he extended his dark-golden scaled hand, which was still slightly blood stained from his bandit slaughter, and said, "Please to meet you Apoltis. I'm Scar-Tail."

The hand stayed extended and the boy looked at it grimly. He saw the blood stains on the scales and wondered if he should shake it. His mother had taught him not to be rude and so he extended his hand slowly and wrapped it around the argonian's.

The boy focused on the argonian's eyes and for the first time since he had met the monstrous reptile, he saw a sort of kindness to his eyes. A softness that Apoltis could tell was not usually there. Apoltis could read most people and he was now confident that this argonian was some kind of knight. He was sure of it. He had it sunk in his mind. Even though he looked like something out of a nightmare he was a good person. He didn't care what he looked like.

Apoltis let go of Scar-Tail's hand and both of them were standing in front of each other wondering what the other was going to do next. Both wondering the others story. Unfortunately, neither would hear it until later.

The door to the Inn Of Ill Omen suddenly blasted open. Not by anything visible either. No wind was powerful enough to knock such a sturdy wooden door open. It was something else. Something far more menacing then just the wind. A magical essence had knocked the door open.

Taking a step towards the door, Apoltis looked out into the inky blackness of night. The rain was still falling outside and cascading downward in the doorway. It was illuminated by the two torches outside making a seemingly veritable portal to Oblivion.

Scar-Tail could smell something outside the doorway. The rain was accentuating the aroma. An aroma of scorch. A fragrance of fire. He grabbed Apoltis's shoulder and pulled him away from the doorway. Something was outside. Out in the darkness with the stench of Oblivion.

Suddenly, as if born from Oblivion itself, coming in through the curtain of reflected fire were four dremora. The foot soldiers of Oblivion. They stood just inside the Inn and the one in front pointed at the boy with a long claymore. One hand tight around the hilt and the other simply at its side.

Apoltis backed away from the daedra and simply said, loud enough for Scar-Tail to hear, "It's them."

Through the entire night he had been chased and these were the ones hunting him. He had had his suspicions before when the door had blown open mysteriously but this confirmed it. They had found him.

Scar-Tail only glanced at Apoltis for a second still keeping his hand tightly on the boy's shoulder. His eyes immediately shifting to the four daedra. Scar-Tail knew all too well that there was a puppet master to these marionettes. Question was who? He didn't dwell on it for too long as his hissing dialect slithered from his mouth and echoed around the entire inn. "You seem to be a bit lost."

The dremora lowered its claymore and cocked its head in a puzzling manor. In a manor that portrayed a doubting demon. Not believing in this mortal's lack of fear and intimidation.

Suddenly, a voice came from the deadra with the claymore. The voice was even more menacing then Scar-Tail's. This voice had a lot more bass to it. It also seemed to reverberate on itself. Not only making more bass but also giving it a tremble that no mortal voice could ever have. "The boy! Our master demands it! Give him to us now and you will not be harmed in anyway. If you do not - no mercy."

Scar-Tail pulled the boy behind him and said, "Well now, does this not seem familiar to me. I believe I have had this conversation once before. Not more then a slight moment ago. I also do believe it will end in the same manor!"

Quickly producing his Elvin dagger once again, Scar-Tail threw it straight at the front daedra. The dremora though caught it with its free hand by the blade and carelessly dropped it to the ground. By the time it had its claymore ready for battle and the rest of its cohorts were ready, Scar-Tail grabbed Apoltis by the stomach and picked him up right off his feet with one arm. Then, in a blink of an eye, he disappeared along with his young cargo. The daedra were put into a confused stupor as the sly argonian snuck right out of the inn undetected.

Scar-Tail was indeed a shadowscale and all that entailed. Such as the power to turn oneself invisible for a short period of time. A real master even knew how to make anything they came in contact with invisible as well.

The born-bound spell wore off outside the inn but still with the boy in hand, he bounded right onto the big black mare. He kicked slightly into her stomach and the black horse took off like a whisper into the night blending into the rain and blackness. Scar-Tail put the boy over the back of the horse in front of him as the horse raced down the beaten path.

Apoltis watched the road go on by as the rain gently hit him and the night was just starting to disappear as the golden sun of Cyrodiil was starting to rise.

Hooves galloped at an incredible speed on the black, massive mare. Ridding hard right to the outskirts of Leyawiin. Right to the front doors of Fort Nomore. Scar-Tail had to fight off a few wolves but they were easy to scare off. A few slashes of one of his silver short swords and they were running like scarred dogs.

Horrible nightmares plagued Apoltis's mind as he had fallen asleep which is exactly what Scar-Tail wanted for the small boy. He carried him into the dark fort over his shoulder as the sky was now clearly visible and the dark cover of night was just about gone. The sun just about to peak up over the horizon.

Scar-Tail couldn't see anything inside the fort so he felt around on the walls for a torch. When he did find one, it was already lit lighting up a dark corridor. He removed the torch and finally found a place in the fort with a few abandon beds with a small wood pile for a fire. He dropped the torch into the wood pile and had a fire going in no time that would scare away most enemies inside the fort.

He slugged the child off his shoulder gently and laid him down on one of the beds. The other he sat on and looked at the boy curiously. Wondering where he had come from and why he had daedra after him? He wondered what kind of trouble he had gotten into. Not even with all his skill was he a match in battle against daedra! What worried him the most was not the daedra or whatever else laid in his way but what kind of forces was he dealing with. His swords and armor were no match for wizardry. Scar-Tail could just smell the mountainous amounts of magicka just emanating off of this new predicament of his. For some reason though, he did not care. All he wanted was for the boy to be safe.

Scar-Tail didn't think too much about it as he removed his hood and some of his top armor. He put it to the side of the bed and laid down in the bed and let his eyes flutter for a bit. He would think about it more in the evening. He needed some sleep for he had had a long day himself. Of course, he supposed a life of danger was better then no life at all. This was his closing thought before he drifted off to sleep.


	2. Making Friends

Scar-Tail awoke late in the evening in his bed and looked over to the other beside; the fire that was burning he made late, still burned brightly and still illuminated the dark stone walls of Fort Nomore.

He saw the kid sitting straight up and gazing at the floor as if he was going to find something in the stones of the fort. An answer of some kind. Any kind. Apoltis's cheeks were shinning from the light. Scar-Tail could see he was indeed crying. His cheeks were so glazed in fact, that they almost seemed to reflect the fire in his skin.

Small whimpers were escaping as he was trying desperately not to disturb his already stirred companion. Scar-Tail waited for about a minute of quiet sobbing before letting the boy know he was awake. "How long have you been up?"

The boy gasped and was somewhat startled, at first. He calmed back down quickly though and then said in a choked voice with his eyes traveling back down to the floor, "About an hour, I think." He wiped his glistening cheeks and asked, "How about you?"

Sitting up in his bed, Scar-Tail then stood up stretching a bit. He lifted his hands over his head and extended his tail straight behind him for a moment getting the kinks out of his muscles. "Not as long as you." His voice still hissing with darkness but also a certain lack of energy. He sat back down on his bed and stared at the boy. "What have you been crying about?"

Snapping his head in Scar-Tail's direction, Apoltis said, "Nothing! It is just - umm..." He was at a lost for a lie.

Scar-Tail just slightly sneered at the boy. "You don't have to make up some story boy. I'm very keen to emotions. Especially when a person goes out of their way to hide them. Besides, it is part of my training." Reaching over to the side of the bed, he picked up his dark cloak keeping his hood still on the floor. He put on the cloak and hissed with comfort as it slid over him.

There was no use in Apoltis hiding his emotions any longer from a perceptive anthromorphic reptile who's appearance was still making him slightly evasive. He could not help being evasive either. He had never seen one of Scar-Tail's kind before. He had been raised in Hackdirt all his life. True, some traders from Chorrol had come to trade but he had never paid any attention to them. He had mostly spent his boyhood in his small wooden house reading about fictitious heroes and villains. Not really dreaming that he could be one of them but at least have a little more of an adventurous life then what he had. If he only he had known what had happen was going to happen back then, he would have wished for his life to stay dull and boring.

As he thought back on his life, his eyes began to tear up again wanting that boring lifestyle back. Wanting that security back. Most of all though - wanting his mother back.

Scar-Tail saw this and once again his heart went out to the child. "So, what is troubling you boy?" He did not know Apoltis's story and he was also looking for that as well.

Apoltis took a deep breath and began. "Three days ago, my mother and I were living in Hackdirt. She was busy with Thomas; a red guard boy who wasn't all that red. One of his parents was an imperial, his father. He use to work on the big well in Chorrol. Also working with the Fighter's Guild. I think he did repairs or something."

Scar-Tail found it quite hard not to interrupt the boy for talking about subjects that were not important to the story. He held his tongue though trying hard to remember that village people, no matter what their race may be, always tended to stray into other matters not of their own.

The boy continued on pausing for a moment as the events of three days ago started to become refreshed in his mind. "They were just outside the front window."

Scar-Tail assumed that he was now, finally, talking about his mother and Thomas again.

Apoltis's voice changed. it became deep and meaningful no longer sounding like a small boy but that of a traumatized adult. "That was when I heard it. The clattering of horse hooves on the ground. The rough breathing of at least four horses. I saw my mother pick up Thomas and carry him to his house where his mother grabbed him. There was a short conversation between my mother and his. Like Thomas's mother did not understand why my mother was afraid of horses.

My mother then pushed his mother into their house and she came running to ours. She shut the door and grabbed me and took me to my room. She told me 'Gather all you can but not enough to make you slow' I wondered what was happening but I dare not question.

I remember getting my small bag and packing my hooded cloak. It was a gift from her a long time ago. She said it was special. I always use to pretended that it gave me powers. All sorts of powers. It was different each day." He said with a smile.

The smile faded though as he went on with his story. Scar-Tail listened intensely.

"I remember my mother's face. I had never seen her so worried. She looked as if she was trying to run to a place she knew not of. Her eyes were troubled and her skin had lost color.

I could hear screaming outside and the faintest noise of swords slashing. I also saw fire glowing through the windows as suddenly my mother picked me up and ran outside with me, out the back door.

That was when I heard a crash from inside our house. I believe it was the front door but I do not know! I just - do not know!" Apoltis's eyes grew heavy with tears and he tried to hold them back. He blinked a few times to stifle them but it was no use as he began to softly sob. He continued with his story getting more and more harder to understand. "She lifted me onto the back of a horse and she got on as that screaming continued…"Apoltis finally broke down, "The fire glowing behind us! My home was burned!"

The silent argonian stayed silent and waited for Apoltis to stop sobbing. He had to wait at least a minute before Apoltis started again with his voice cracking with held back sorrow.

"We ran to Gottlesfont Priory. My mother apparently knew some people there. It wasn't enough to protect us though."

Scar-Tail just whispered under his breath, "Monks usually never are." He had one of his silver short swords out and was shinning it with a small white cloth. It helped him relax as he listened to Apoltis's story.

He went on. "By the next night, the riders were back and the monks at the priory tried to warn us but they were all slaughtered. I was asleep when they came. My mother grabbed me from out of bed and took me outside in a hurry. It was the blackest night. I could see fires shifting about. I could hear the clanging of metal on metal. I think some of the monks were armed and were trying to defend us the best they could!

My mother dropped to the ground outside of the stables. I tried to pick her up but it was no use. She was so heavy. So heavy." His voice trailed off. He stayed silent for awhile before starting up again. "She had been wounded on her right side. She laid…" He took a breath trying to hold back more tears. "She laid in my arms and with her hands at her side. My arms began to become wet with her…" He tried to say the word blood but could not. He could not compose himself long enough to say it.

"She slipped her hand into a small satchel of hers and pulled this out." Apoltis reached into his cloak which was still on the ground and removed a light green crystal. Scar-Tail looked at it curiously. It had jagged spikes on it but its bottom was completely flawless. It was definitely some kind of stone. It seemed kind of large in the boy's hands but he held it as if it was lighter then air.

"She told me that this was what they were after and they should never get it. Then she said…" He hesitated. What she said after that was personal to him. She had told him that she loved him and that he was now the guarding of the stone. That he should travel out of Cyrodiil and get somewhere were he might be protected. After that, she was gone.

Apoltis decided to say, "That was when I stood up from - _my_ mother and was about to run when I saw a man approach me. He saw I had the stone and demanded that I give it to him. He was so sinister and had come with daedra. I ran and they ran after me. They did not catch up with me quite as quickly as I thought they would. I do believe that the monks had rendered them horseless. Still, it took me that night into the next to lose them. Even that was only for a short while. That was when I ended up at the inn."

Scar-Tail was now onto his other sword and was polishing it. He sheathed it when the boy was done and hissed out, "That was where I come in."

Apoltis agreed. "Yes, the rest you know."

Scar-Tail stood up off the small bed and asked, "This man you said you saw that night. Can you tell me what he looked like?"

Thinking back, Apoltis closed his eyes and pictured him in his mind. "He was a tall, thin man. He had dark hair and a goatee. He had on a dark blue robe. I think it had strange black markings on it but I cannot be sure about that."

The argonian thought to himself. "What else?"

The boy did not have to concentrate about this. "Well, his skin was - glowing."

Scar-Tail's reptilian eyes bounded at the boy. His calm demeanor was gone and replaced by a wild eyed stair. He had to ask, "Apoltis, did you say his flesh was glowing?"

Looking down at the stone floor of the fort, Apoltis replied, "Yes. It was a white glow with a slight green. It was very strange. It never stopped either. The light from him seemed to illuminate from within. Like he had a torch that burned brightly inside his body!"

Scar-Tail sat back down on the bed and folded his hands in front of his face. "This makes things all the worse! Not only may the man after you be a powerful conjurer but he is probably very adept at many other magical skills. Necromancy, alteration, incantation, by Sith…" He looked at Apoltis, "By The Nine who knows what else! He is probably a very powerful wizard!"

Apoltis looked at his stone for a bit and asked, "What does that mean for me?"

Turning his head towards the boy, Scar-Tail saw him looking sorrowfully at the stone. He was going to try to encourage Apoltis but he could not lie to the kid. "Boy, I am not going to lie to you. It does not seem very good for you. You have a powerful wizard after you and he is probably going to get that stone one way or the other."

The boy shook the stone and began to angrily ask, "But why? Why this? He killed my mother over this thing? I do not even want it! If I just throw it into the lake I will be much better with out."

He got up but so did Scar-Tail. He put both hands on Apoltis shoulders and looked him in the eye. Apoltis had a hard time looking at his companion still not completely comfortable with his scaly looks.

"Now look kid, you cannot do that!"

"Why not? Do you know what will happen to me if he finds me with this?"

"You ever thought of what might happen if he finds you without it?"

Apoltis looked for an explanation and came up with none. He figured that he was right. He sat back down on the grungy bed and stared at the stone. He put it back in his cloak and stared at Scar-Tail with a steel dagger out now. Inspecting it for any kind of ware on the blade.

Apoltis had to ask, "How many weapons do you have on you?"

Scar-Tail was still looking at the dagger when he answered back, "From what you have told me - not enough!"

"So what do you think of my stone?"

"It's probably Ayleid."

"What is that?"

"Ayleid? They are the distant relatives to some of the elves. There are many Ayleid ruins all around the empire. Mages and all sorts of other magical users hire bandits and treasure hunters to scour these ruins. There are different types of Ayleid stones too. Some are much easier to find but they mostly pay for the hard ones. The ones maniacally booby trapped."

Apoltis thought for a few seconds about Scar-Tail's long answer. "How - How do you know all this?"

"How do you think? I was a treasure hunter for a while."

"Oh. I just thought maybe you read it in a book somewhere."

Scar-Tail just gave a soft, sarcastic trill. "Do I look like the 'bookworm' type?"

"No, I just assumed that you were well read."

"Why is that?" Scar-Tail asked, a little curious about what in his personality or his demeanor that gave off that ridiculous notion.

"You just seem very educated for a jobless knight."

Scar-tail roared out with laughter. His laugh was sinister and dark and Apoltis had a hard time not being frightened by it. It sound just like a monster/snake with a bass to it that would have been loud if not for the overwhelming hiss over it. Scar-Tail's mouth full of razor sharp teeth as his growling laughter continued. "Is that what you think I am?"

"Well, yes! Your fighting skills, your attitude towards crime, and other things."

Now the argonian knew that this child had grown up in a small village. He thought that all good fighters were knights.

"What makes you think I am not one of the bad guys?"

Apoltis was slightly surprised at the question. He had not contemplated that possibility. It was not in him. This reptilian savior of his did not seem bad to Apoltis. He was sure of it. "Well, you saved me! I think that qualifies you as a good guy. Doesn't it?"

A smirk came over Scar-Tail's face. At least, Apoltis took it as a smirk. It was more of a scowl. "I save one small child and that makes me 'a good guy' hmm? How do you know I didn't save you just to kill you later and maybe steal that rock of yours?"

Apoltis gave Scar-Tail an insulted huff. "If you wanted me dead you probably would have killed me already and then taken the stone for yourself."

Cocking his brow in a calm, pleased surprise. Scar-Tail said, "Indeed. I would have."

"So you do not want me dead and you do not need me for anything important so I believe you saved me because you wanted to. In my book, that makes you a good guy."

Scar-Tail hissed with despises for himself. He was no good guy and he himself knew it. The kid's opinion of him was wrong. He had no idea what laid behind Scar-Tail's exterior. A maniacal mad killer. Born and trained.

Apoltis decided to ask him something that had been bugging him. "So, how did you become a knight Scar-Tail?"

He faced away from the kid and said, "You do not want to know my story, kid."

Apoltis politely said, "If I did not want to know I would not have asked."

Scar-Tail looked at the ground and then said, "I think you and I have had are fair share of sad tales this evening."

Joining Scar-Tail at staring at the ground, Apoltis let out a sigh and then put on his cloak. He tied the small lace under his chin and then said to the assassin, "We should get going. They will be hunting me again."

Scar-Tail just grunted a bit and scoffed at Apoltis's statement. "Again? You say it as though they never stopped."

Starting to walk away from the fire, Apoltis said in reply, "All the more reason we should be leaving. Do you not agree?"

The argonian stood up now donning his hood from the floor. He looked around a bit and said, "No."

Apoltis just flashed him this confused look but his feelings of confusion were doused by terror. Scar-Tail walked up beside him and was looking in all directions. Apoltis went to say something but Scar-Tail hissed back at him, "Quiet!" He was listening for something.

At first, Apoltis tried to hear it but all he heard was the crackling of the fire and the movement of their own bodyweights against the stone floor. He heard nothing and was getting uncomfortable by Scar-Tail's over cautious attitude. He decided not to move though knowing that even though he did not hear or see anything, Scar-Tail probably did.

He could not have been more right. The highly trained shadowscale was scanning the inside of the fort as well as listening for anything he had heard from last time. After Apoltis had gotten up from his bed and was about to walk away from the fire, his keen reptilian ears had picked up on something rather unnerving. A low tone hiss. Not like his hiss either. This was more human in nature. Only one thing came to mind as Scar-Tail had one of his hands firmly gripped onto his elven dagger. Ready to throw it at the first shadow that dared to appear anywhere even near them. Vampires!

His keen, slit eyes caught a glimpse of something in the firelight. It was a humanoid form but what actual race it was he could not be sure of. His dagger hand muscles twitched but the figure disappeared before Scar-Tail could launch the small blade at the unknown entity. He was left with the dagger high in the air. Poised and ready to nail anything that was not him or Apoltis.

The air was quiet and still. Scar-Tail's breathing was short and rapid. Yet quiet at the same time. His training helped him with that. He made no noise and no movement as his reptilian eyes tried to focus in on some kind of being. His ears were equally busy, trying to catch a noise, a movement, anything to kill.

Apoltis was also trying to aid Scar-Tail in his silent hunt of the unknown but he was nowhere near the experience level or even in the same league with the highly trained assassin. Still, it did not stop him from trying to help his compatriot.

Apoltis suddenly saw a torch light and a dirty green hand snake around his mouth. Scar-Tail turned to see Apoltis had been captured! Next to Apoltis's bunk, with Apoltis in one hand and a dwarfish war-ax in the other; stood a bulky, female orc. She was at least seven feet tall and held the child like he was a small dog. Her garb was mangled and slightly torn while her flesh was a chalky green. Not a dark green or a bright green like most orcs. Scar-Tail knew why too but her eyes confirmed it. All orcs had two shades of eye color. Yellow and brown. Her eyes were light red. Almost pink like a baby rodent's eyes. The true sign of a vampire.

Apoltis struggled a little bit against her grip but he was just like a wriggling worm on a hook. Nowhere to go. Her skin was foul against his. It smelled old and rotten like bad meat. Apoltis didn't stop trying to get free but it was hardly a chore for the vampire orc to keep him detained.

Scar-Tail could sensed others. It had to be a whole pack of them. He was still poised with his dagger. His eyes were scanning the room ready to impale anyone in the room. He couldn't though for fear of the orc vampire hurting Apoltis. He had to think of something and fast.

The orc looked at the argonian and recognized him right away as a creature of tremendous killing prowess. She tightened her grip on the small boy and said, "Loose the blade lizard!"

Scar-Tail stared her down and slightly hissed with refusal.

From behind the skilled assassin, a voice came of a small wood elf. "You heard her, you scaly sack of troll puke!" Male, about four feet and seven inches. Had a longbow made of either iron or steel. Scar-Tail could tell all of this from the noises that the wood elf was making.

Another noise to his back right. Fur on the stone structure of the fort. Heavy with armor and a heavy weapon. Mace, maybe even a broad battleaxe. Vampire khajiit with exceptional skill of murder. Brutal and staring a hole right through him. He was standing on a stone a little higher then Scar-Tail. Of course, the trained assassin could hear all of this from the sounds he was making too. Quite loud for a vampyric khajiit.

Scar-Tail was waiting for something. He was a highly trained killing-machine and his training was in full effect. If there was one thing about his training and vampires he knew; both focused on leaders. This little pack of bloodsuckers had to have a master vampire. Scar-Tail wondered where he was but he didn't have to wonder for long.

Suddenly, a dunmer mage entered into the room. He had a small blue flame in his hand lighting up most of the room. Next to him was another well armed vampire khajiit. Not as big as the one standing behind Scar-Tail but that did not decrease the lethality of his weapon. A silver long sword. Scar-Tail believed that the two heavily armed cats had to be the mage's bodyguards.

This dark elf took a step towards him and then said, "I know you Dark Brotherhood are not deaf. Get rid of the dagger and anything else you might be hiding under there." Referring to his blacker-then-black armor.

Scar-Tail knew this was the master. He began to bend down and lower the dagger and was about halfway down to the ground with it when he grabbed his small, silver dagger from a hiding spot within his armor and flung it right at the dark elf's head! The silver dagger flew through the air and hit its mark. Right in between the eyes of the dark elf vampire. He fell slowly onto the ground and a stream of magical energy ascended out of his body along with his dark, oil-like blood. The khajiit next to him watched in stunned shock as his master fell to the ground dead from one fluid motion. The khajiit dropped his weapon and knelt down on the ground next to their dead leader. Distraught and unconcerned about the others.

Scar-Tail was already on the move with both of his silver short-swords out. He flew through the air and chopped the female orc's head right off! It flew right off her shoulders and landed right next to the dead dark elf. The depressed khajiit did not even pay it any attention.

Before the large female orc hit the ground, Scar-Tail already had the boy in his arms and was rushing him out of there. The small wood elf was in close pursuit with the big khajiit jumping off the stone running right behind the small bosmer vampire. The shorter khajiit was still on his knees next to his master.

Scar-Tail ran right out the door of the fort and hopped on his horse. He slung Apoltis on the back and rode off into the moonlit night. The two remaining vampires ran out into the night and looked around for him in a frenzy. The small wood elf saw him and pointed him out to his taller compatriot.

Back inside the fort, the vampire khajiit slammed his sword right into the stone floor of the fort and stood up. He looked out towards where the two had fled and roared with anger. He ripped his sword from the stone floor and tromped right for the front door of Fort Nomore. He pushed right through the two in the doorway and right out into the blue ink of night.

He looked up at the night sky and saw both moons. He then said to his blood brothers not looking at them, "The night is with us!" He turned around and extended his arms with his sword still in hand, "Their blood will flow from our fangs!"

The small wood elf had his hand on his bow and said, "How? Their on a horse! We are fast but they are faster!"

Suddenly, just as the small wood elf had said that, two imperial guards were coming down the road. Both on horseback with torches. The khajiit in front picked up on their imperial blood and said, "Brothers, are prayers have been answered!"

The bigger kahjiit looked at the approaching soldiers and swallowed hard as he held his elven battleaxe. He then decided to say, "I don't know! They are imperial guards. Those silver swords could really cause us some trouble!"

The smaller kahjiit turned around with his silver sword and said with it, directly at his new servant's throat, "So can mine!" His bigger counter-part backed off and got ready for war.


	3. The Snake & The Lion

Scar-Tail and Apoltis traveled for at least two nights southward in the direction of Leyawiin. Apoltis was asleep for most of the ride and Scar-Tail was getting tired. They finally stopped at a small settlement known as Border Watch.

Apoltis awoke in a big bed with a cold sweat. Most of his sleep had been plagued with nightmares. For the most part about his mom but others about the stone. He saw strange things. Things he could not have described if he wanted to.

He was in a different set of clothes and his cloak was gone. He looked around a new room and found none of his belongings. He scanned the room and then began to feel this creeping pain claw at his stomach. It was hunger. He rolled one of the sheets off the bed and stood up.

Suddenly, the front door into the room began to open and in walked a khajiit. He was not about to stick around and find out which weapon this one was wielding. He did the only thing he could think of at the time. He took shelter under the bed. He watched the cat-like feet enter the room and the door shut behind them. His breathing became very heavy and he could not control it. He tried to muffle his breathing by putting his hand over his mouth but all that seemed to do was make a small wheezing noise from the air hitting his hand. He was so scarred.

The feet stood there for a short second and then began to head over to the edge of the bed. As they got closer, Apoltis's breathing became more and more heavy. The feet stood by the bedside and seemed to be staring at Apoltis. As if they wanted to sink their claws deep into him.

Something was different though. They didn't move like they were stalking him or sneaking around. They seemed to be just supporting weight. Not only that, they seemed a lot more smaller then most. These feet belonged to no warrior.

Apoltis could see a line of cloth draped around the ankles which now lead him to believe that it was a female kahjiit. He was not about to crawl out from underneath the bed though for fear of being wrong. Female or not, she would probably eviscerate his fleshy extremities at the first chance she got.

He then saw the feet turn and face a small stand by the bedside and saw the draped cloth extended downward. She put something on the table. The feet then turned and walked out of the room. Apoltis waited for a minute before slowly crawling out from under the bed and looked on the small stand. There was an assortment of things that would quench his appetite. There was half a loaf of wheat bread. A bowl of meat stew with a range of vegetables. A clay pitcher of water and a small piece of candy it seemed. Apoltis did not know where he was but it was starting to get a little better.

He was still a little weary of the food but he was so hungry that his evasiveness of the food wore off quite quickly. He began with the stew and before he was done he ate the piece of candy. He had eaten most of the loaf of bread and all of the stew. They all had a good taste but the piece of candy was the taste that intrigued him the most. It tasted like a fine cheese with chocolate. Those two tastes do not sound like they would compliment each other but somehow, this time, they did.

After Apoltis was done, he decided to brave the unknown. He opened the wooden door and looked outside. Outside was a young khajiit woman standing at a counter. The counter was made of a strong wood with a glass showcase of round objects. Apoltis could not tell what they were at first glance. She looked at him and Apoltis got a good look at her. Her fur pattern was very warm and inviting. She had a toothy, wide-eyed grin cross her face when she saw the boy. He quickly shut the door. He leaned against it kind of afraid.

He heard a voice from outside. It was definitely the khajiit woman. She was talking to another person. Her voice was slightly raspy but that was only because she was a cat creature. Underneath the rasp seemed to be a very young, pleasant maiden's voice that seemed otherworldly nice. It actually made Apoltis feel ashamed for shutting the door on her. "I think your friend is awake."

He then heard footsteps and quickly launched himself onto the bed. He pulled the sheets over his head and tried to pretend he was asleep. He heard the door open and he quickly shut his eyes. Apoltis heard a gruff sigh and then a very familiar voice say, "You honestly think that is going to work?"

Apoltis's eyes bolted open at the first word. Scar-Tail! He leaped off the bed and sure enough stood the almost bronze yellow-scaled argonian. He was dressed in different clothes but it was him. No doubt about that. Apoltis ran up to his friend and hugged him. It was comforting to finally see a friendly face.

Scar-Tail was a little caught off guard by this but he snaked one of his arms to the boy's back and patted him. "It's alright kid."

Finally letting go, Apoltis's eyes were shimmering with tears. "I thought I was alone."

Scar-Tail bent onto one knee and put both of his hands on the boy's shoulders and said, "I would not just leave you!"

Apoltis wiped his eyes and said, "I know."

Standing up, Scar-Tail and Apoltis walked out of the room. When they did, Apoltis again caught sight of the khajiit behind the counter and kind of retracted. Scar-Tail felt this and stopped with him. The khajiit behind the counter looked at the boy and said in that raspy-maiden voice, "I am sorry if I startled you. I guess you have not been around a lot of beast people before, besides your god uncle here of course."

Apoltis looked up at Scar-Tail confused and Scar-Tail just looked back at him and thankfully spoke first. "Well, I just saw him there and he looked so hapless so I said I should save him."

Suddenly, a purple-skinned woman came into view. She was a very young and very attractive dark elf. She was sitting at a table that Apoltis couldn't see. Scar-Tail had been sitting with her before Apoltis had gotten up. She came up to Scar-Tail and began to caress him. She also started whispering into the argonian's ear and wrapped her leg around him. Apoltis couldn't hear what she was saying but he figured it was nothing important, to him at least.

She kissed Scar-Tail and walked back over to the table. He followed over to her and left Apoltis's side. The confused boy watched as they both sat down with each other and were caressing each other. He then walked over and asked, "Where is my cloak?"

Scar-Tail looked over at him and said, "It is back in your room in the small stand by your bedside."

Apoltis turned around and entered his room. He went over to the stand where the tray of eaten food and drank water was gone. He looked around for a second not having recollected hearing nor seeing the khajiit lady come in and collect the empty dishes. He did not think much of it.

He opened the small stand and indeed there was his cloak and the stone was there too. He put his cloak back on and put the stone back in his pocket.

He exited the room and went up to the counter display case. He finally could make out what the circular items were. Cheeses. All different kinds of cheeses. He looked at the display queerly. "Why would there be cheese in a display case?" He decided to ask.

The woman khajiit looked at him with a smile and answered, "Because this is Border Watch's heritage."

That did little to wipe off the confused look on the imperial child's face. "Border Watch? Where is this?"

Her toothy grin did not diminish. "Just South of Bravil and perfectly north of Leyawiin."

Neither towns had he heard of. Apoltis was now really confused to where he was. So he decided to ask, "Excuse me but how far are we away from the Imperial City?"

The khajiit behind the counter could have been a candidate for a painting model because once again, her smile was unfading. "About a two-in-half days' ride."

Apoltis had never been that far south in his life. The only 'big' town in Cyrodiil he had ever visited was Chorrol and even then he had only seen about half of it. He had heard of the Imperial City before but had never actually been. He had never heard of Bravil or Leyawiin.

Apoltis decided to leave. He began to walk for the front door when he heard Scar-Tail's voice from behind him. He was snuggling with the dark elf girl when he said, "Hey kid, do not go too far outside. There is not too many imperial people this far south."

Nodding his head that he heard him, Apoltis walked outside and Scar-Tail went back to the dark elf girl.

Outside, Apoltis's eyes were greeted with a vibrant small town sight. He saw small houses on both sides of a clear pathway leading straight away from the building behind him. To the right, behind about three houses, was a medium sized fenced-in area with sheep herded inside. They seemed to be right at home with the few horses corralled up as well. There, Apoltis caught sight of Scar-Tail's black mare. She was very majestic looking and looked more regal then the other two horses tied up with her. Both stallions and both mangy looking. As if they had not been cleaned or groomed in months.

Plenty of people were walking around Border Watch too. They seemed to be on their way to other tasks around the village. The thing that struck Apoltis most peculiar was that most of the towns' people he saw moving about were khajiits. It kind of made him nervous. He wondered if this small village was some kind of khajiit exclusive town. He did see other types of people walking around but he figured that they were there only for trading and resting.

He would soon learn that he was right. Border Watch was indeed a khajiit populated village. It made him kind of nervous but he took a deep breath hoping that none of the big cat-people would give him any trouble.

He stepped off the small wooden steps of the building and took a few steps into the village. He turned around and looked at the building he was just in. He saw a sign hanging from the building. All it said was: BORDER WATCH INN

Apoltis turned back around fully knowing that the Inn was probably the biggest building in the village. It was a small village and Apoltis knew it. He had lived in a small village most of his life and these were definitely small village people.

Turning back around, Apoltis decided to investigate the town some more. He began to move out into the main part of the town were most of the traffic was. He walked right for the straight path and watched as most of the cat people ignored him. He suddenly got bumped by a male khajiit who was carrying wood for some fireplace. Apoltis landed on his rear end and made a slight whimper.

The male khajiit put down his load on the ground and knelt down next to Apoltis. He touched Apoltis on the shoulder and a gruff, almost monstrous voice asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

Apoltis did his best not to be too shaken by the big cat's voice and brushed off his black cloak. He answered back, "Yeah, I am okay."

The khajiit grabbed his arm and was about to help him up when Apoltis suddenly jerked away from him in primordial terror. He scooted away from the large cat guy and had a fearful look on his face when he got up on his own.

The khajiit man put up his hands, and stood up saying, "Hey, relax little guy! I don't mean you any harm. You must not be use to seeing khajiits."

Apoltis's face went from that scarred look to a pitiful look. He felt kind of bad about the way he had acted towards the kindly khajiit man. It was just that every khajiit that Apoltis had run into up to arriving in Border Watch had either tried to kill him or have him for lunch. He actually explained this to the khajiit male. He had also apologized more then once for the way he acted towards him.

The khajiit man smiled with these large incisors and said in his growling voice, "That is okay little tyke. My name is Ra'tarnik. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Ra'tarnik outstretched his hand waiting for Apoltis to shake it.

This was when Apoltis really got a good look at the big male khajiit. He was tall and built. He was probably the buffest khajiit Apoltis had ever seen. He had a large mane that circled his entire head. It was a bright, sunset red close to his ears but as the mane extended, the red faded into a light wheat-yellow. Which was most of his fur color with some patches of a dark yellow looking almost like an aged gold. His eyes were an emerald green with a sophistication there that made Apoltis curious of his inner personality. Apoltis was not that good at reading beast people but he was starting to learn.

They also had a hardness to them. They were nothing like Scar-Tail's eyes. Apoltis could tell there was something hidden inside the khajiit's eyes. A kindness that seemed to be seeded from the world. As if he was scarred to act kindly to others. Though he didn't seem to be having a problem with that at the moment.

Reaching out hesitantly, Apoltis grabbed his hand and said, "It's good to meet you Ra'tarnik."

The large paw/hand wrapped around Apoltis's small, fleshy digits and Ra'tarnik's grip was so strong that it hurt Apoltis's hand. Apoltis kind of reacted to the pain but he tried to hide it. Ra'tarnik caught on and let go of the small child's hand. He did not mean to hurt the small lad but he was just so strong that sometimes it was hard for him to check his strength.

Ra'tarnik looked at the small boy curiously and then decided to ask, "So young man, what brings you to Border Watch?"

Apoltis was not good at lying and he was even worse when it involved a khajiit. He looked at him and he furiously searched for a good lie but found none.

Suddenly, a voice from behind Apoltis spoke up with a hiss sound to it and that ominous dark tone that Apoltis had come to recognize. "Sight seeing."

Turning around, Apoltis saw Scar-Tail. He was walking out of the Border Watch Inn right towards them. Apoltis looked back at Ra'tarnik and had this worried look on his face.

Scar-Tail put his hands on Apoltis's shoulders and then said, "With his uncle."

The khajiit and the argonian met eye-to-eye and in that very moment; the both of them knew that the other was something more. They were both killers! Scar-Tail could tell that the khajiit in front of him was a lot better at disguising his darker nature then himself. Something bugged Scar-Tail about this killer though. He had met a lot of other killers before but this one had something in his eyes. A spark of honorability. He had never seen it in a vicious killers eyes before. That was when Scar-Tail knew even though he could almost smell the blood coming off the khajiit, that he was more then an ordinary killer. He was a warrior. A killer for not only money but a hunter of prize game. One that looked for a more deadlier challenge then the last. Probably a freelance one.

Scar-Tail figured that if this cat warrior was here for big game then there was only one person in the whole of Border Watch he wanted. If this khajiit was indeed a killer, then he was here to kill only one person and Scar-Tail had a pretty good inkling on who that was.

What Scar-Tail was most concerned about was Apoltis. Even though this khajiit maybe a noble warrior and was not here to kill the child, he still dared not to let his guard down.

Ra'tarnik looked deep into the argonian's eyes. This monster was definitely on par with his skills as a killer. He actually had a hard time remembering where he was, nearly letting his façade deteriorate but he kept his composure coming face-to-face with someone just as skilled as him if not more so. He could tell one thing for sure about the argonian assassin, he had definitely killed more people then him.

Apoltis was in the middle of these two with Scar-Tail's hands still on his shoulders. He was the first to introduce Scar-Tail to Ra'tarnik. "Uh Ra'tarnik this is my step uncle Scar…"

Scar-Tail pulled Apoltis behind him and then said, "Scarullen-Ta" Not wanting the khajiit to know his name. He did not want anyone to know his name except for Apoltis.

Extending his hand to shake Ra'tarnik's but the weary khajiit just looked at the dark golden scales on the argonian's hand and sneered at Scar-Tail. He then took a long breath and said, "That is an odd name for an argonian. The only Scarullen-Ta I know of is the criminal overlord that existed about fifty years ago."

Scar-Tail now realized what a mistake he had made. It was the only name he could think of at the time that sound like his own. Little did he remember the significance behind the name. No argonian mother would name their hatchling Scarullen-Ta. The name was nearly forbidden to even be uttered in the land of Black Marsh let alone Argonia.

Keeping his composure though, Scar-Tail simply said, "My parents were rebellious."

Ra'tarnik decided to anger him a bit to get him to strike. He wanted to test Scar-Tail's skill. Not because he was curious either. "Did you even know your parents, lizard?"

Watching in a tense surprise, Apoltis noticed Scar-Tail's hands drift off of his shoulders but he dared not to look back at the argonian. Scar-Tail's hands balled up into fists and his claws began to scrap against his slightly armored palms and Ra'tarnik could hear it. The reason that this insult got to Scar-Tail so deeply that it was true. He had not known his parents being chosen at birth for the service of murder for the land of Argonia. Ra'tarnik had struck home on his first shot.

He decided to go deeper. "After all, I see that you bare the mark."

Looking down at his right arm, Scar-Tail did indeed have the Argonian royal symbol placing him in the service of Argonia. It had been branded into his arm when he was just a child. If Scar-Tail had been wearing his black leather armor instead of the sleeveless dress shirt he now wore, Ra'tarnik would have never seen it. Scar-Tail though had taken it off just in case somebody would have recognized the dark assassin's armor. This khajiit would have more then picked up on his assassin nature as everybody else would have too. So it was good and bad that he was not wearing it. In the current situation, more good then bad.

Scar-Tail took a step towards Ra'tarnik and then said, "I think you should keep your flea-ridden nose out of other people's business!"

Ra'tarnik took a step towards Scar-Tail and they both were staring each other down. They were both about to say something to the other but Apoltis began tugging on Scar-Tail's shirt from behind.

Scar-Tail spun around and then saw what Apoltis was trying to get his attention for. Across a dirt pathway, a female khajiit was convulsing from purple bolts of lighting coming down from the sky! Apoltis took a step back and Scar-Tail actually put his arm up shielding the child from the strange occurrence.

The woman khajiit fell to the ground and the purple bolts of lighting encircled her and zapped the ground around her. She had her maw gapping open but no sound came out.

Ra'tarnik took a step back with Scar-Tail and then said, "Damn it, not again!"

* * *

**(A/N: I'd like to know what people think so far. I don't believe I need to say this but reviews are more then welcomed. You can tell me the bad stuff too. As long as it is a good critical review, I don't mind.**

**Also, its been forever since I have played TES IV so I hope everything was correct. If you disagree please leave it in a review. I would like to know, if anything, what I did get wrong. If I didn't - tell me that too. I look forward to reviews. If people don't read I don't write.**

**With that being said, there is alot more to come. I'd say that this story will be well over 30 chapters or so. So whoever out there is enjoying this story I hope you're in for the long haul.**

**I think a little backstory is also in order. When I played Oblivion, the mysterious character of Scar-Tail seemed very intriguing to me. I found nothing more on the character then a few tid-bits on the side mission of the Dark Brotherhood though. I don't even think a decent fanfic has been written for him. I wanted to change that. I promise you, in this story, you will find out what was the order that Scar-Tail denied to follow which marked him for death and branded him a traitor to the royal court of Argonia and to the Dark Brotherhood.)**


	4. Cavaliers In Border Watch

Scar-Tail swiftly turned his head and stared down Ra'tarnik. He then watched in a cautious curiosity as the bolts retracted back into the sky and the woman khajiit stood up twitching with purple lighting surging around her body. Her eyes had become pure white spheres and she seemed to be floating up off the ground. She looked at the three as all the other townspeople had run off in fear.

Still having his arm guarding Apoltis, Scar-Tail tried not to be intimidated by the otherworldly transgression. Meanwhile, Ra'tarnik slipped out a dagger from inside his boot and held it with confidence. He then said out loud, "I am getting a little sick of this!"

Scar-Tail had no idea if he was talking to him or the possessed creature in front of them. Either way, Scar-Tail asked, "Is this a friend of yours?"

Ra'tarnik snarled and then said, "More like a reoccurring nuisances!"

The possessed girl curled her fingers letting her claws show ready to rip anything to shreds. She roared at the three with her fur being blown back by some kind of wind that manifested all on its own. Then, in this raspy voice that seemed not to come from her but rather a force unseen, spoke through the monstrous looking khajiit woman, "What do we have here?" Her tongue curled up over her nose and swayed over her upper lip from side to side. She then spoke again in that voice that was not her own. "Did you bring me a little snack? Look at him!"

Apoltis just shook his head and said to himself, "She is talking about me, isn't she?" Apoltis knew she was he just did not want to believe it.

She grinned at him and crossed her arms in between her legs and then extended one of her hands and began to wave Apoltis over with her index finger and said, "Oh, come here my tasty, little morsel. Hmmm, I will make sure you do not suffer too much. You will make quite the appetizing delight!"

Scar-Tail kept his arm up shielding Apoltis and said, "Dinner will have to wait you demon witch! Go find some other kid to devour!"

She hissed at him and a few of those purple bolt flashed through the sky. She stood erect again and also seemed to be floating off the ground. "Well, who is this Ra'tarnik? Tell the reptile to go take a swim. The boy is mine!"

Ra'tarnik just grasped his dagger and said, "You know Sheogorath, I am really getting tired of killing you!"

"Fool! You cannot kill a god!"

Apoltis suddenly came from around Scar-Tail's arm and then said, "Sheogorath? The daedra prince of madness?"

It took Scar-Tail a second to figure out that Apoltis had left his side and quickly shoved him back behind his extended arm.

Ra'tarnik looked over slowly at Scar-Tail and then asked, "How does he know that?"

Giving Ra'tarnik a couple of quick glance, Scar-Tail answered, "I don't know!" He turned his attention to Apoltis and asked, "How do you know that?"

Apoltis shrugged his shoulders and said, "I heard my mom talk about daedra lords before. Sheogorath and some others I heard about."

Ra'tarnik spun his dagger in his hand and stated, "Does not matter what he is a prince of! I am going to dethrone him - again!"

The possessed khajiit roared out against her opponents and then rushed right at them. Ra'tarnik got prepared as well as Scar-Tail.

The first to react was Scar-Tail wrapping both of his arms around Apoltis and diving to one side, almost landing right on the steps of the Border Watch Inn. The two of them landed in the dirt and kicking up some brown and green earth as Scar-Tail still had a death grip on Apoltis.

The possessed khajiit flew right by them lunging to make a killer swipe right for either Apoltis or Scar-Tail hoping to kill or maim either one. Ra'tarnik watched out of the corner of his eye the lighting fast reflexes of Scar-Tail and thought to himself that this argonian was much faster then him. He was slightly impressed but only had a split-second to be.

After the possessed khajiit woman had flown right by the two intended targets, Ra'tarnik spun his dagger again and then grabbed it by the point of the blade. He then flung it right for the demon induced woman and the dagger sunk right into the temple of the woman. She roared with pain and fell to the ground with a few trails of blood oozing out of her temple and her nose. She was dead and the daedra lord was no more. The purple lighting was gone and her rage seemed to disappear.

Scar-Tail got up with Apoltis and they both looked at the dead khajiit woman. Apoltis was a little stunned by what had just happened. Not wanting to appear to be stunned, Scar-Tail just took a calm breath but it was shaky. He was only fooling himself. The both of them were stunned and surprised for the same reason. A daedra lord had just declared war on a small village.

Apoltis looked down at the dead possessed khajiit and then looked back up at Ra'Tarnik. Apoltis then asked, "Ra'tarnik?"

"Yes?" Ra'tarnik said calm and coolly.

"What is going on in this town?"

Before Ra'tarnik could answer him, an elderly khajiit's voice could be heard. Apoltis, Ra'tarnik, and Scar-Tail all had to turn around to see her.

She wasn't dressed any differently then the others in town. The only difference was that she had finer material of clothes. She did not seem like the village shaman but she was. She also needed a staff to help her stand. She seemed to be a very powerful woman at one time.

Behind her was a young male khajiit. Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both figured it was her apprentice. He was definitely dressed different. More like a woodland mage then a shaman.

Her voice was old and frail and yet still seemed to have some vigor to it. A positive vigor. Indeed, it still had that raspy sound to it that all khajiits had to their voices but this woman's voice actually seemed to relish in it and become even more soft-hearted because of it. As if she had seen some fantastic horrible sights and had learned not only to deal with them but to rise from them. It actually made Apoltis at ease but he was the only one.

"Little one, you and your compatriots have stumbled into our small village being besieged by a daedric lord."

Scar-Tail just grunted a bit, "Yeah, we kind of already guessed that."

Her eyes quickly shifted to him and the look on her face became as stone. For some reason she had a quelled up feeling of hatred towards the argonian. She could not put her finger on it but something deep inside of her told her that this beast person was evil. She said nothing to him as her eyes glided back down to Apoltis. That stone look fading away. "Dear little one, you must leave this village before something happens to you!"

Scar-Tail took offense. He put his hand on Apoltis's shoulder and said, "Nothing is going to happen to him! No daedra lord is going to stop me from protecting this boy!"

Looking up at Scar-Tail, Apoltis was somewhat shocked by his protection over him. He figured he should not have been but he was still in a little bit of a shock that some stranger could care about him this much.

The shaman lady again turned her attention to the argonian and yet again, her face went to stone. She then spoke directly to him, "Your skills are no match for a daedra lord's power, snake!"

Scar-Tail's neck retracted back like a snake in offense to that remark. He growled a bit through his sharp teeth but decided it would be in not only his best interest but Apoltis's if he did not strike the woman down dead. However, the feeling was gnawing at him.

Deciding to speak up on his and Scar-Tail's behalf, Apoltis said "Ma'am, I have seen him fight. He is more then capable of protecting me and I do not think you should call him such names."

Now it was Scar-Tail who was looking down at Apoltis with shock. He still had not gotten over the fact that this child considered him some kind of knight. His shock was actually a little more overwhelming then Apoltis, who was finally becoming comfortable with his argonian compatriot. Scar-Tail was no knight and he knew it and soon he would discover that he was not the only one who knew it.

"Dear little one, you believe that this serpent is worthy of your praise?" The shaman asked, pointing weakly at the shadowscale. Her mind jumbled with bad feelings but not knowing of Scar-Tail's and Apoltis's past.

Apoltis looked up at Scar-Tail, who was still looking down at him. Scar-Tail would be the first one to admit that he was not worth it but Apoltis could not be convinced otherwise. Apoltis looked deep into the reptilian eyes of Scar-Tail. As if trying to see evil in those slit, red eyes. Those infernal red eyes looking at him. Those black blades in the foreground of the plain of red fire in the back of his eyes. The former Dark Brotherhood initiate believed at least an Oblivion quarter-acre grew in his soul but Apoltis then looked back at the shaman woman and said, "Yes - yes I do!"

The shaman woman breathed a sound of regret and said, "So be it. You mark my words child, you will live to regret your decision."

Scar-Tail was almost at a loss of thought. He had no idea what to think. All of his life nobody had ever even defended him like this child was here. Sure, he had been defended by his reptilian brothers in combat but he had turned his back on them a long time ago. Now, he had nobody except for this small child. He now knew that they were one in the same. Both of them loosing their families in unique ways. Now all they had was each other. No one was going to hurt the small boy! Not while his scaly body still drew breath!

The shaman woman then said to the three, "Now be off!"

Apoltis took a step towards the woman and said, "We want to help!"

Scar-Tail looked down at Apoltis and asked, "We do?"

Apoltis looked back at Scar-Tail and said, "Yeah! That is what knights do, is it not?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Scar-Tail said, "I guess but…"

"Yeah!" Ra'tarnik cutting him off. He then said sarcastically, "Sir knight! Save the people of Border Watch. Show us your 'knightly' skills."

Scar-Tail looked at Apoltis and then back at Ra'tarnik. He was trying to think of a good reason not to kill the meddlesome cat. He really wanted to cut the feline too so it was hard for him to come up with a good excuse but luckily he did not have to. Apoltis intervened between the two and said, "Hey! Why not save it for the monster!"

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both looked at Apoltis and then looked at each other. They dared not to take their eyes off of each other, both of them sneering.

Taking a step towards Scar-Tail, Apoltis said in a whisper so as Ra'tarnik could not hear, "Don't worry, you will show him!"

Those crocodile-like eyes of Scar-Tail becoming pools of regret. He really did not have the stomach to tell Apoltis that he was no knight. He could not destroy the boy's dream like that. Ra'tarnik, on the other hand, had no problem with it. In his own subtle way he was trying to get Apoltis to see the light.

Proudly, with his chest out and his head held high, Apoltis walked over to the shaman woman with both Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik following him with their eyes. He then asked the frail, kahjiit woman "How can we help?"

His words stuck home with the shaman woman. She smiled at him and struggled to get down to one knee to come face-to-face with the boy. Her apprentice helped her down her staff.

She eyed him, looking into his eyes and his soul. She could see this overwhelming good inside of him. Almost as if he was no mortal at all but sent to Border Watch by the Nine Divine to stop this accursed demon. She put her paw over his face and stroked his cheek still with that smile on her face. Apoltis did his best not to retract away from her single touch still being afraid of khajiits in general.

She then began to read Apoltis out loud, "Some great misfortune has befallen you."

His eyes became watery as he thought back to his mother. His head lowered as he looked at the ground.

She continued on. "Your pain is very deep - yet - you still do what you believe is right."

Apoltis was not really listening to her as she continued on. Until, she asked something that gained his full attention.

"Why?"

Apoltis's head snapped out of his depressed gaze and he looked at her bewildered. His eyes jumped around still teary, looking for the best way to put his answer. He thought of no better way then telling her what was in his heart, "That is what heroes do. They help people. You need help."

Her smile only widen at hearing this knowing that what he said was in his heart. She took her hand very gently away from his face and tried to stand up. She had some trouble and once again her apprentice helped her to stand up.

She stood as erect as she could on her staff and looked around at the towns people. Her eyes were filled with a sorrowful anger. She was sad for the people of the town that they had not done anything about the demon attacks and it was only until Ra'tarnik had come that something was being done. Ra'tarnik was not even native to Border Watch which was something that neither Apoltis nor Scar-Tail knew of.

She then said out loud, "Will no one accompany this child to the cave?"

Apoltis just looked at her strangely. He asked himself, 'The cave?'

Again she asked, "Is not one of you brave enough to accompany this child and his argonian companion to the cave?"

All the khajiits in the village walked away from the question. Not one of them having the bravery it took to follow the child.

Ra'tarnik watched all of them shy away from the boy and rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this show. He stepped up and said, "I will."

Scar-Tail turned a mean eye to him and said, "I would rather have an ogre with a twenty-foot long spear and a serious stomach ache behind me than you!"

Ra'tarnik folded his arms in an overabundance of arrogance and said, "I did not take you for someone who felt 'that way' about ogres. I bet you would love an ogre spear in your backside."

Once again, Scar-Tail balled up his fists and let out a very angry growl between his sharp teeth. His snarl was completely rage filled. Now, more then ever, did he want to kill this khajiit! His eyes would have started turning red if they were not that color already.

The shaman woman then decided to point out the obvious. "Ra'tarnik, you are not Border Watch kin."

Turning his head in Ra'tarnik's direction surprisingly, Apoltis barely managed to get out the question, "Ra'tarnik, you are not from Border Watch?"

Ra'tarnik could see that Apoltis thought that he was. He also saw the hurt in his eyes. He felt bad for Apoltis feeling that way. He really did not mean for Apoltis to assume he was from Border Watch but he could see now that he had somewhat hurt the boy.

Bending down on one knee to talk to him, Ra'tarnik was prepared to ease the boy's confusion. Scar-Tail grabbed the hilt of one of his short swords. Ra'tarnik heard this but ignored it. He was more interested in making amends with Apoltis. "I am sorry if you thought I lied to you. I really was collecting wood for a fire place for a friend of mine here."

Apoltis made a sigh of realization. "No. I assumed too much. I should be the one who is sorry. I guess it was just easier for me to accept you were from here since everybody here has been so nice to me."

"It is a nice place."

Apoltis shook his head in agreement and Ra'tarnik rubbed Apoltis's head. He then stood up and sneered at Scar-Tail. He then decided to answer the shaman's question. "I know I am not Border Watch kin but I still have defended it as though it was my own for several days. I also am the only one here with battle experience besides 'Sir Daedroth' over here."

Scar-Tail's grip on his short sword tightened but he dared not to do anything until Ra'tarnik actually made a move.

Apoltis turned and asked the shaman woman about the cave, "So about this cave?"

Waving her hand in front of him the khajiit shaman said, "It is where the daedra followers of Sheogorath provided sacrifices for him. It is said that it is a gateway between his world and ours. His domain of Oblivion is small but very maddening. To enter the cave is to face your very own destruction a thousand times over and live to tell of it. Sheogorath himself will be there and his presence is felt throughout the walls of the cave. Whispers of crazed souls will fill your ears and send you spiraling into everlasting madness."

Scar-Tail gave a huff of impatience, "Just tell us where it is!"

Her eyes locked onto Scar-Tail and she looked at him like he had just spit on her soul. "You will find it. Or more so, he will find it." She said motioning to Ra'tarnik.

Ra'tarnik looked at her strangely and said, "What makes you think I am going to find it?"

She turned back around to go back into her little cabin and said, "Because it is you he wants. If you seek him out, he will find you Ra'tarnik. You have foiled his plans here more then once. He will want a confrontation." She walked away and left the three with their thoughts. Scar-Tail was still not happy about Ra'tarnik tagging along while Ra'tarnik was not happy about tagging along with Scar-Tail. Apoltis was just unhappy about the two not getting along period. He could not figure out why the two were at each other's throats but he hoped it would pass.

The two were still staring each other down when Ra'tarnik decided to break the stair and look at Apoltis. "Hey Apoltis?"

Apoltis gave him his attention.

"You ever been 'shouldered' before?"

Apoltis looked at him curiously and then said, "I'm not a broad sword!"

A bellowing laugh came from Ra'tarnik getting quite the kick out of that. It took him awhile to come down from his laughing, "No! No. I mean, have you ever ridden on your dad's shoulders?"

Apoltis again got this sad look on his face.

Wondering what he had done, Ra'tarnik blinked and then asked, "Hey, what is the matter?" He felt really bad that somehow he had upset Apoltis again.

Apoltis tried to shrug it off but he looked back up at Ra'tarnik and said, "I never knew him. My mother never spoke of him and I was always a little envious of the kids who did have fathers in the village." Apoltis then realized how far he had gone and he did not mean to say that much about his family life. He tried to cover it up a bit, "I am sorry. You probably had a terrific father and…"

Ra'tarnik broke him off by busting out with, "Well that settles it!" He walked over to Apoltis and grabbed him by the shoulders with both hands but he did not even get him off the ground before a silver blade was shoved right beneath his throat. He stopped cold in his tracks and smiled a bit knowing exactly where it came from.

He tilted his head a bit and looked up at Scar-Tail. The lighting fast assassin was standing with his sword outstretched against Ra'tarnik's neck and an evil look in his eye. He then uttered the words, "I do not think so."

This was the moment Ra'tarnik had been looking for and was about to go for his own weapon eagerly wanting the fight to happen but Apoltis stopped them both.

Apoltis looked over at Scar-Tail and said, "It is okay. I trust him."

Tightening his grip on the sword, Scar-Tail looked at Apoltis with wide reptilian eyes. "Are you mad? You do not even know this khajiit! I definitely do not know him!"

Ra'tarnik just smiled and said, "Oh, I think you do. Now, relinquish your sword from my throat or prepare to be made into a handbag!"

Scar-Tail eased his way closer to Ra'tarnik and said, "Try it - pussycat!"

Apoltis had had a enough and simply said, "Scar!"

He had his attention.

"Lighten-up!"

Ra'tarnik did not take his eyes off of Scar-Tail now knowing that Scarrulen-Ta was not his name. Sure, Scar could have been a shortening of the name but he seriously doubted it. He had a slight smile cross his face again at the mere thought at what else might be hidden from him.

Scar-Tail about dropped his sword at the statement. After everything that Apoltis had been through, he was going to trust this unknown kahajiit. He could not believe it. Well, stupid mistake or no he was not about to let down his guard. He was still going to keep a close eye on the cat.

What Scar-Tail was not remembering though was that Apoltis was still a kid. He wanted to have some fun and the khajiit was promising it to him. Sure he was a smart kid but he was still just a kid. Kids like to have fun whether they are intelligent or not. Besides, Scar-Tail was also not taking into consideration the 'father figure' mentality of the situation. Apoltis was promised some kind of fun that a father does for their son. Apoltis had grown kind of fond of Ra'tarnik respecting him as a bigger brother type of person. He had never really known a father's love. That bigger brother type of love either.

The sword eased off of Ra'tarnik's throat and he picked Apoltis up and put him on his shoulders. Apoltis smiled a bit as Ra'tarnik began to walk off with him. Scar-Tail sneered not liking this display of kindness towards the boy. He knew that the khajiit was using Apoltis to get to him. He could smell it on the fur of the "kindly" cat man. He knew what he wanted. A fight with Scar-Tail.

Suddenly, Scar-Tail yelled out, "Hold it!"

Ra'tarnik stopped with Apoltis still perched up on his shoulders and Apoltis asked, "What is it?"

Scar-Tail had remembered his dark armor. He then said, "I have to go get my armor. I think you should join me."

Ra'tarnik had a smile cross his face and he cockily said, "He will be safe with me. Trust me."

Scar-Tail snarled at the cat and then said, "I would not trust you with the care of a mudcrab!"

Apoltis just frowned at Scar-Tail. He wanted to stay on Ra'tarnik's shoulders. Apoltis could not believe how Scar-Tail was acting but he also did not understand Scar-Tail himself.

Patting Ra'tarnik on the head, Apoltis had his attention. "Just follow him."

Ra'tarnik hesitated for a minute thinking about staying right where he was with the boy just to irritate Scar-Tail even more. It might have actually pulled the two into battle.

He then thought about Apoltis. The boy could get hurt. The argonian might actually try to hurt the kid to get to him. He would not let that happen. The boy was a good kid and no way in Oblivion was he going to let this lizard use him as leverage. He had no idea what he was capable of so he complied with Apoltis.

He walked over to Scar-Tail and with Apoltis still on his shoulders, followed him back to the Border Watch Inn. There, the dark elf lady was outside waiting on the argonian assassin. Scar-Tail walked past her not even giving her a second glance but gave one at a window next to him. Scar-Tail turned his head towards the two and pointed to it. His voice was darker then usual and then said, "Stand over there with the boy and do not move. I had better see you with the boy when I am changed or I will hunt you down to the furthest corners of Nirn!"

Slightly laughing at his statement, Ra'tarnik with a wicked glair to his eye and a sly smile across his face asked, "Is that a promise?"

Scar-Tail turned his head back toward the inn and hissed out, "Not to you."

Ra'tarnik and Apoltis were both confused about the statement but Scar-Tail knew what he meant. It was a promise to Apoltis. Scar-Tail had never felt about anything like the way he felt about Apoltis. Scar-Tail had not had a friend or family since he had worked for the kingdom of Argonia. He was not going to let this cat hurt Apoltis and if he did, may the Nine have mercy on his soul because Scar-Tail would have none.

Walking over to the window, Ra'tarnik kept Apoltis on his shoulders holding onto his feet. He waved Scar-Tail into the inn.

Scar-Tail walked into Border Watch and changed into his armor quick. He went right to the window after he was done and could see the two talking to each other. He saw Apoltis laughing with Ra'tarnik and hissed at the sight. His tongue flicked out as he stared at the khajiit. He wanted to kill him so bad. He would not even mind burying his teeth into the cat's flesh. Feasting on his blood like a snake/vampire.

Meanwhile, Ra'tarnik was talking to Apoltis about Scar-Tail. He had started talking to Apoltis as soon as Scar-Tail entered Border Watch. "So, he is your uncle huh?"

Apoltis did not want to lie to Ra'tarnik. He did not like lying and plus he was terrible at it. "Sort of."

The buff khajiit knew that Apoltis was not good at lying. He could hear it in his voice - especially when they had first met and when he was introducing Scar-Tail. Ra'tarnik decided to get the full story out of him. "So, how did you guys meet up?"

"Well, he saved me from some really bad guys!"

"Really?" Ra'tarnik was a little surprised. However, he wondered what the argonian wanted with the kid. "Why did he do that?"

Apoltis did not even think when he said, "Because he is a knight."

Having a slight, muffled chuckle escape from his maw, Ra'tarnik tried hard not to laugh at the statement. "Apoltis, you honestly believe that he is a knight?"

Apoltis looked down at Ra'tarnik from his shoulders and asked, "Yeah! Why should I not?"

This was unbelievable to Ra'tarnik. He could not believe that this kid thought this dark sinister creature was a knight. For that matter, he could not believe that he thought any beast-person could be a knight of the kingdom. It happened but orcs were given better privileges and treatment then beast-people. Ra'tarnik just shook his head and then asked, "Have you ever been to the Imperial City, Apoltis?"

Apoltis lowered his head a bit embarrassed. "No, I have not. I always wanted to go though. Maybe see the Divine Temple."

"Well then, one day, maybe I will take you there. I have been to the Imperial City. You and me kid!"

"Really?" Apoltis face lit up. "What about Scar?"

Ra'tarnik's good humor did not diminish, "Well, I suppose he could sneak in through the sewers or something and meet us there."

Apoltis kind of laughed. "He does like to skulk around."

"Not you and me though. We will go right in through the front gates! I will take you all over the city. I will show you every last sight. You want to go to the Divine Temple? Champ, you wait till you see the White Gold Tower!"

Apoltis could not help but get excited about his upcoming trip to the Imperial City. He just shouted out, "Hooooray!"

Suddenly, Scar-Tail busted out of the door to Border Watch Inn dressed in his silencer armor. He looked like he wanted to kill the two. He was breathing heavily and was almost foaming at the mouth with rage. His forked tongue was bobbing in and out and he was making an irritated hissing sound.

Ra'tarnik almost went for his weapon when Apoltis asked from atop Ra'tarnik's shoulders, "What is wrong Scar?"

Almost as if an angel touched his cheek to sooth him, Scar-Tail quickly calmed down and walked up to Ra'tarnik and Apoltis. His reptilian eyes were locked on Apoltis and his demeanor calmed. He could not endanger Apoltis's life no matter how badly he wanted the kitty dead. He retorted back to Apoltis, "Nothing. It's nothing."

Smiling at him, Apoltis's deamnor was still one of giddiness with Scar-Tail smiling back up at him. The argonian killer's eyes then met with Ra'tarnik's. His smile quickly was replace by a sneer and Ra'tarnik gave him one right back. Both of them wanting to kill each other for two very different reasons.

Apoltis patted Ra'tarnik on top of his head and said, "Alright Ra'tarnik, let get going!"

Ra'tarnik quickly smiled back up at Apoltis and turned around to walk out of Border Watch with Scar-Tail not too far behind. For a moment, Ra'tarnik had to put Apoltis back down on his feet. He had to go get his own armor. Scar-Tail thought about just running away with Apoltis over his shoulder. Just hop on his dark mare and ride until he saw only water in the horizon as the sun set.

When Ra'tarnik emerged, he was fully armored in Imperial Legion armor - minus the helmet. Apoltis was in awe at the heavy armor. He had two steel war-axes on him as well. He spun them in his hands and easily lifted Apoltis back onto his shoulders with one arm as if the heavy armor had no encumbering effect on him whatsoever. All the while looking at Scar-Tail with those sly, cat eyes of his.

Snickering, Scar-Tail asked, "What dead guard did you swipe that off of?" Referring to the armor set.

His fur stood on end but Ra'tarnik calmed himself and sneered at Scar-Tail saying, "It was a gift." Turning around with the boy on his shoulders. The armor not bugging Apoltis's legs too bad.

The three of them looking like an odd party of members. Ra'tarnik with a kid on his shoulders and armed to the teeth in armor and two war-axes. Apoltis with his somewhat tattered clock that still gave him an innocent look despite it having a darker woodland green to it. Scar-Tail with his blacker-than-night armor that fit on him like a glove. Giving him a shifty, treacherous look.

Ra'tarnik could not help but wonder if Scar-Tail was observing his back for a good place to stick his sword. He never heard him go for his sword though but he was always prepared for it. Even with Apoltis on his shoulders he could move quickly and he would try desperately to make sure the kid was not harmed in any way. Even if it meant his life!

Scar-Tail was indeed looking for a good place to stick his dagger. He could not help it. The cat rubbed him the wrong way. Scar-Tail already new he was a mercenary of some kind and he knew he was on a assassination mission. Scar-Tail figured his target was he himself but he was not sure. He had no way to test his murderous theory but if he was not here for him then who else was he here to kill? The Nine help him if he was here for Apoltis. A sick, demented killer sent by whoever was after Apoltis. Either way, not one of them knew the evil they would bring out in Scar-Tail if Apoltis died. Sithis himself would cower in fear of the monster that Scar-Tail would become.


	5. Forest Of Fables & Foes

Ra'tarnik was ahead of Scar-Tail by about five steps and Apoltis was having a good time on his shoulders. The cat man could tell it too. He was having fun carrying Apoltis. He was being very light-hearted about the whole situation. He still had his guard up against Scar-Tail though. He hoped he would not use the boy to get to him. He had an ethical moral code that he would not break. On the other hand, he hoped he would use Apoltis as a shield or some kind of leverage. It would make killing him all the easier.

Apoltis watched as they exited Border Watch and started South down the main road and then broke off. He wondered why they had but Ra'tarnik must have known the way. Apoltis remembered back to the shaman lady and remembered that Ra'tarnik would automatically know the way. He wondered if Sheogorath's powers were at work as they walked on.

Tilting his head as the three past by a few trees, Apoltis asked Ra'tarnik, "What is your story Ra'tarnik?"

Ra'tarnik could not help but smile. "Choose one."

Apoltis was confused.

"I have many stories Apoltis. Why not pick one?"

Apoltis was pleasantly surprised by this so he said, "I know not of the many different stories you have."

Ra'tarnik chuckled a bit and said, "There was the time I took down that giant ogre. Then there was the time of the mud-crab invasion. I even took on the Dark Brotherhood at one time."

Scar-Tail growled at this. He had to ask, "Do you really think that the boy must here of the Dark Brotherhood?"

Ra'tarnik turned his head and still walking with Apoltis on his shoulders asked, "What do you mean?"

Apoltis decided to finish, "What is the Dark Brotherhood?"

Looking up at Apoltis, Ra'tarnik asked, "You mean, you have never heard of the Dark Brotherhood?"

Apoltis thought for a minute and then answered, "No."

Looking around as if somebody somewhere should explain to him why this kid did not know of The Dark Brotherhood, Ra'tarnik had to duck under a few branches he was so thrown off of his concentration. He then spoke of the Dark Brotherhood. "They are a group of assassins that hideaway like cowards in abandoned tunnels, sewers, and forts."

Scar-Tail tried hard not to be offended by the comment. He left that life a long time ago but a piece was still with him. It was hard not to kill the cat right there for such insolence towards such a group of professional killers. Killers that could probably kill him in an instant. Killers that could sneak behind him in the cold-dead of night and cut his throat easier then removing the dagger from its sheath they would do it with. Then, be able to put it back and disappear into the raven black figures of the forest without a trace except the feline's blood steaming on the road they left him on.

Suddenly stopping in his tracks, Scar-Tail had not noticed actually feeling the hilt of one of his silver short swords in his hand. He had not even had to think about killing Ra'tarnik. His imagination had run away from him and with it, his control over his actual actions. Instinct was starting to take over and he slowly removed his hand from his sword. He looked at Apoltis up on Ra'tarnik's shoulders and tried desperately to remember who he was actually trying to protect. Only the boy's presence kept the feline warrior alive. "He should be thankful." Little did Scar-Tail realize he had actually said that under his breath.

Ra'tarnik and Apoltis had both heard him say something but they did not know what he said. They stopped and looked back. Scar-Tail was just standing there looking at the ground. Apoltis cocked his head from atop Ra'tarnik's shoulders and politely asked, "Are you okay, uncle?"

Scar-Tail looked up at Apoltis and saw his innocent face. The argonian became upset with himself. He had almost put the child in danger and he would not even known what had happened until it was too late. His breathing was slow and he had to think before answering Apoltis. He then struggled for a smile for the sake of Apoltis and then said, "I am fine boy. Thanks."

Apoltis did not have to struggle for a smile and turned around with Ra'tarnik below grinning like a pleased bully. He had heard Scar-Tail's hand reach for his sword and had readied himself. In a way, he was kind of disappointed that Scar-Tail had returned to his calm demeanor. He was glad though because that way the child was safe but then he was irritated because he wanted a good fight with the scaly murder. One of them would have an honorable death in one-on-one combat.

Continuing on while walking with Scar-Tail close to his back, Ra'tarnik's lesson further intrigued Apoltis. "Anyway Apoltis, the Dark Brotherhood is one of the most well known assassin guilds here in Cyrodiil. They will kill anybody for you so long as you give up somebody for them."

Apoltis blinked with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"These evil, black-robbed deviants need a sacrifice of blood if gold can not be provided and then go about their dastardly operation."

Scar-Tail thought back to his training. Back to The Black Sacrament. He knew that some type of payment had to be made for a hit. Contacting the Dark Brotherhood was pretty easy though. The Sacrament required a dead body of some kind. The contractor did not have to murder anybody. That wasn't their job. Even an already dead body would do. Murder and death was not used as payment. They would take other payments then gold but not death. Death was their job not their method of payment. They might be a guild of cut-throat, ruthless assassins but even they had rules and standards.

He went to say something but then decided not to. For fear of playing right into Ra'tarnik's trap. He figured that Ra'tarnik might be feeding Apoltis wrong information to make him admit who he really was. He kept his mouth shut but he couldn't help a small hiss escape his mouth. It was a slight hiss but a hiss that Ra'tarnik could hear. Apoltis did not hear it and the khajiit warrior was glad for that.

What he was not glad about though was that the argonian assassin was smarter then he thought. He had tried to coax him into another verbal battle after he had told Apoltis the lie about how the Dark Brotherhood worked. He was hoping that the argonian would slip up and say something incriminating because if he was not Dark Brotherhood; he might be Morag Tong. He highly doubted it though. This lizard stunk of Black Marsh. There was no way he was part of the northern, more legal, assassins' guild.

Apoltis then added, "How can people do that to one another?"

Ra'tarnik looked up at the boy and went to say something but Scar-Tail interrupted him, "Some people deserve to die."

Ra'tarnik stopped and turned to face the argonian assassin. He then said, "Like those three, shadowscale murders I killed."

Scar-Tail snarled being a shadowscale argonian himself.

Apoltis looked down at Ra'tarnik and could not help but be curious. He then asked, "Oh, tell me that one!"

Smiling back up at the kid with his incisors being fully shown, Ra'tarnik couldn't help but have a happy grunt escape his maw. His grin was sadistic and giddy at the same time.

He turned back around away from the assassin and began to tell Apoltis his story still walking with him perched on his shoulders. "It was awhile back. At least three years ago or so. I had entered an Alieyed ruin searching for a bandit group that had been terrorizing people on the road just South of Cheydinhal. It was dark and the only thing really giving off light was my torch and the ancient Alieyed stones which were in certain sections of the place.

I came to find all of the bandits dead in a large room. It seemed that they had been slaughtered by some of their own but as I looked further into their deaths, I figured two things. Whoever had slaughtered them did not use any rag-tag weaponry. These weapons were of a dark nature. Imbued weapons. Not many low class bandits have imbued weapons and these were certainly low class bandits. I probably could have killed them just as easily now that I think about it.

Secondly, it had happened recently. About four or even five hours before I got there. There corpses had not even started to stink yet."

Apoltis then interrupted Ra'tarnik not meaning to but he had to ask, "Dead bodies - stink?"

Both Ra'tarnik and Scar-Tail looked at him. They were both thrown off by the question. Neither one of them could believe that he had just asked it. They both began to wonder if the kid had ever even experienced anything involving death? Scar-Tail knew that he had because of the story he had had heard at Fort Nomore but both of them were surprised. It took both of them awhile to get over the fact that the child had no idea about death. It was hard for the two to grasp since they both had become very acquainted with death over their life spans. It just proved to them, once again, that they were dealing with a truly pure, if somewhat naïve little boy.

After Ra'tarnik had regained some composure he went on with his story. "Well, I saw a small table with some food on it. Seeing as how the meat on the dish was not rotten and the fruit had not spoiled I decided to treat myself."

Scar-Tail hissed slightly, "It could have been poisoned."

Ra'tarnik just smiled not looking back at his scaly companion saying, "Now how is that possible if I am still alive?"

mumbling under his breath, Scar-Tail said, "Too bad it wasn't."

Ra'tarnik went on. "That was when I heard it!"

Apoltis's eyes lit up. "What?"

"Well, you ever notice how your uncle makes a hissing noise every now and again?"

Apoltis looked back at Scar-Tail and he made a slight, irritated hiss. More for Apoltis's knowing then being irritated at any one thing. Apoltis kind of laughed and said in a pleasant tone, "Yeah?"

"Well, that was the exact noise I heard."

Fully intrigued now, Apoltis's was all ears. It had been a long time since he had felt truly safe and had forgotten the danger hunting him down. He left every bad feeling he had back in the past. His mind was escaping into Ra'tarnik's story and he was exceptionally grateful for it. "What did you do next?"

Ra'tarnik grinned. "I readied my weapon. Since these were shadowscales I could not see them. You see, shadowscales have this unique power to render themselves invisible for a long period of time."

Apoltis remembered back to when he had seen Scar-Tail do it back at Fort Nomore when he had saved his life. He almost let it slip to Ra'tarnik that Scar-Tail was a shadowscale but probably was not part of this Dark Brotherhood or whatever he called it.

Scar-Tail also had his mind race through countless of times he had done it. Including Fort Nomore.

Ra'tarnik continued on. "Back then, I had a very good sword. It was a special sword made out of ebony. Black as a starless night and twice as deadly!"

Apoltis could not help but have a "Ooooh!" escape from him.

Scar-Tail sneered in mockery. He had seen ebony swords before. Rarely but he had seen them. They were nothing to get over joyous about. Of course, Scar-Tail was accustom to seeing unique weaponry. His time in the Argonian Royal Guard was very well spent. Most ebony weapons were enchanted and he figured that this cat's was no different. Although, he did not see him carrying it now. Scar-Tail asked where it was and Ra'tarnik replied, "I damaged it in a later fight." Ra'tarnik's mind seemed to wander off and no longer did he have that bright, cheerful personality that Apoltis and Scar-Tail had become accustom to. Now, he seemed to actually be going off into some bad memory.

Recovering though, he went back to the argonians he fought in the Alied ruin. "Right. Where was I? Ah, yes. I had my blessed ebony sword ready when I felt a presence near me. They might have been invisible but they could not hide the sounds of their footsteps. I slashed at one and gashed his arm. That was when he became visible to me. If I had not been so focused in on him going for another attack, I might have seen that arrow that punctured my side. Fortunately, it only stuck through the skin and I easily pulled it out.

I then planted that arrow right in the head of the visible one just before he got a good grip on the small war ax he was carrying. However, my victory was short when I felt this hard hit right into my face. It was definitely a kick. I knew what a kick felt like.

I was shocked there was a third one but I had to fight through as the invisible archer took two more shots at me. Both arrows hitting stone. I swung about like a mad tiger trying desperately to hit the one that had kicked me. I could hear him dodging about like a snake in a corner."

Scar-Tail decided to ignore that insult.

"I hid behind a fallen stone block and tried to figure out what I was going to do. They did not give me too much time as the visible one was right on me! The arrow still stuck out off his head. Apparently, I had not stuck it in his head enough! Did not matter though as he had given me an idea. He took a lunge for my head with a silver short sword and had missed. I grabbed his shoulder and hauled him up with me. His invisible archer friend fired quickly at me but I used the visible snake like a shield and saw at least five arrows go deep into his chest. He was definitely dead now.

I grabbed his silver short sword and kicked the dead argonian to the ground. His archer friend had made a terrible mistake by not moving from his position letting his arrows give him away. I flung the short sword right up at him and nailed him directly in the chest.

He grabbed a hold of the sword like a wounded beast and made this god-awful gargling sound as the blood poured…" Ra'tarnik stopped himself remembering who he was telling this story to. "He died pretty badly."

"Now, I just had one to deal with." Ra'tarnik said, darkly. "Who I still could not see and suddenly I felt this wind blow right by my stomach. I knew it was a sword or ax of some kind! I had to be careful! This one was very different from the others. He was the more skilled.

Just as I was thinking that, another slash came at me but this time it was near my neck. I bent backwards and stuck my claws into something fleshy. I knew that if I could inflict some kind of damage on him I could see him. It did not work quite as well as I had hoped. I heard this great, loud, hissing roar come from him. I was then knocked down to the ground and I know I almost fell under the pressure of unconsciousness. I was able to get up though with some determination and I still could not see my quarry! I was starting to get desperate. I began to swing around trying to hit something and that was when I got sloppy.

The invisible shadowscale nearly cut my arm off with another swing of his bladed weapon. Fortunately for me, I have thick fur. Oh, he did indeed cut my arm but not enough to incapacitate me. It still hurt like Oblivion though!

It was then I saw blood that was not mine. It was my invisible attacker's! I had wounded him from before. I traced the blood and before I pinpointed him, he took another swing at me but I was ready. I rolled to my left and saw the blood splatters on the stone floor. They stuck out like red rose petals falling on stone. I could track him now.

After about a minute of fighting, he finally became visible to me and now it was an even match. Him and me locked in a weapon duel of both of us going for strikes on each other until I came out the victor."

Apoltis took a deep breath being so engrossed in the story. He was left kind of wondering, "How did you finish him off?"

Ra'tarnik remembered back. He remembered that he was in a violent fury by that point and had left all honorable nobleness behind. He was now just a brutal beast person who cut open his enemy's stomach spilling his intestines on the ground in a steaming pile and then lopping off his head watching in an ecstatic joy the red geyser that protruded form his severed neck. He also remembered some other details that he himself wished he had not. He remembered drinking the blood and engorging himself on… He stopped his memory right there. Wanting to not go any further. He had not remembered any of that until now.

He stopped in his tracks and was frozen on the South road leading to the cave. He began breathing heavily and winced finally remembering the more forgotten details of his barbaric actions. He was a khajiit after all but it was not honorable or noble to do that to one's enemy.

"Well?" Scar-Tail's voice snaked in to his ear and for a minute, he felt that old blood rage take over but he regained his composure and came back to his humble self pretty quick.

He looked behind himself at Scar-Tail with a devilish smile and said, "I did not know you were interested too?"

Scar-Tail hissed and rolled his reptilian eyes. "I just wanted you to finish your story so we can get on with this."

Ra'tarnik then said, "Right." He continued walking and said, "I drove my sword right into his chest and bested him."

Apoltis could only just shout out a, "Wow! That was a good story Ra'tarnik."

"Maybe later I will tell you another one."

Apoltis smiled on top of the khajiit's shoulders and said, "I would like that."

Scar-Tail was less then thrilled. More then that though, he had picked up on something. Ra'tarnik was lying. Scar-Tail knew he was telling the truth about the three and the entire fight but what had happened at the end with the last one. He could hear it in his voice. He was lying. He could tell Ra'tarnik was not use to lying too much. He keyed right in on it and later, if there was a later, he would ask him about it.

About a minute after Ra'tarnik had finished his story the three came upon the cave. It was not too far off the road but it was still well hidden by forestation. At least five trees shrouded the entrance. The cave also seemed a bit misplaced. As if it did not belong in the forest.

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both saw some figures moving near the cave. Ra'tarnik grabbed Apoltis ankles gently and helped him down off his shoulders. Scar-Tail watched him closely still not fully trusting Ra'tarnik around the boy.

He went up to Apoltis and bent down on one knee coming down to the boy's height. "Now, whatever happens Apoltis, you stay behind me and the cat."

Ra'tarnik could only smile at Scar-Tail's little insult.

Apoltis kind of frowned at the suggestion. He then looked at his reptilian companion and understood why he could not try and help the two. He was not skilled at sword-play or any other weapons. Although, he felt like he was being treated like he was not part of the group when he felt that he was.

Ra'tarnik knelt down coming eye level with Scar-Tail which, in turn, made Scar-Tail snarl and stand up letting the cat have his say. The warrior khajiit laid one hand on Apoltis's shoulder and even though he did it carefully, it still laid heavily on Apoltis. Ra'tarnik then said with care in his eyes for the boy, "Now, if you see me or your uncle get injured badly you just run! Okay? Just run away!"

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Apoltis blinked a couple of times not fully realizing what had just been asked of him. "Wait Ra'tarnik…"

He was suddenly cut off by Scar-Tail with his arms folded standing above the both of them. "Apoltis!"

Apoltis looked up at Scar-Tail with teary-glossed eyes.

"He is right."

Ra'tarnik was surprised by this. Little did he know that the person that was more shocked by Scar-Tail agreeing with him was Scar-Tail himself.

He hated the khajiit but he hated the thought of Apoltis getting hurt even worse. He would not let the child die. Scar-Tail was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the child. He had been alone for so long and now, in Apoltis, he saw something. He could not help it. He cared about the boy like his own hatching. He was ready to give his life for the child - no matter what! He just wondered if Ra'tarnik was ready to make the same sacrifice.

A gruff growl of approval came from Ra'tarnik. Along with a big, toothy smile and Scar-Tail saw it. He really did not care either. He was happy to see Scar-Tail agree with him. Ra'tarnik was already starting to rethink the amber-scaled argonian. He dared not drop his guard though. Even though Scar-Tail agreed with his plan, he dared not to assume that he was telling the truth about his approval.

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both lined-up next to each other shoulder-to-shoulder. Apoltis stayed behind the two as he was asked but tried to see past the two to look at the cave entrance.

The cave was a dark ominous hole shrouded by trees and neither Scar-Tail nor Ra'tarnik felt comfortable going in. Scar-Tail pulled his two silver short swords while Ra'tarnik pulled two steel war axes. He had gotten them in Border Watch and had been using them to chop wood for some time but now they would come in handy for whatever was in the cave. Now he could use them for what they were meant for.

The two stood ready with both of them dual-wielding weapons. They both looked around surprisingly working well together - so far.

Ra'tarnik's senses were heightened by the warm wind that blew through his fur. His paw/hands tightened around the two handles of the small axes. He held them close to his sides. His eyes scanned the green terrain. The grass was moving irregularly and Scar-Tail picked up on it too. His golden scales moving over the silver of his short swords like an amber wave. Sliding slick and easily. Naturally and proficiently on the hilts and blades. His senses also heightened. He could hear perfectly every movement of Apoltis's body behind him keeping an alert ear on him. He could also hear a difference in the world around him. Something was happening.

The two's muscles tensed and they both tried to keep Apoltis safely behind them. The wind calmly began to pick up and a strange sort of energy was on the air.

The two warriors looked back at the entrance of the cave and saw a strange collection of energy. It was like slight lighting in the air. The wind began to pick up more becoming a continuous gust. The trees rustled and both of the armed beast people picked up on it. Their eyes still locked on the gaping entrance to the cave. Swirling energy accumulating in front of the cave.

The energy began to swirl around itself becoming transparent orbs of power. The slight energy in the air conducting right into the two orbs. The two orbs gaining more power from the bolts in the air.

Suddenly they exploded with a white blinding light and before Scar-Tail or Ra'tarnik were able to see again, two creatures had appeared where the two orbs had been.

Xivilai! That was the two creatures that had appeared. Daedra that looked like dark-blue centaurs. Big, black horns that protruded out of their skulls. Pure light shinned from their eye sockets and they had long fangs in their mouths like vampires. Only they were a lot stronger both physically and magically then any vampire. They either roamed the landscape of Oblivion as a wild "people" or were "pets" only able to be controlled by daedra lords. Even daedra lords had a hard time "rustling" them.

Both Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik took a step back from the two beings, stared down by the light in their eyes. The light more bright and powerful then five stars collectively in the night sky. The one to the left took a step towards the two combatants and gave a sound out of its mouth against them not of any world but Oblivion. It sounded like a human growl echoing itself ten times over in a single moment. It even seemed the "echoing" voice made calculated noise like a language.

Neither Scar-Tail nor Ra'tarnik knew what it was saying to them. The two looked at each other and Scar-Tail asked, "You ever seen anything like this before?"

Ra'tarnik's eyes were of stone and he coldly replied back, "Nope. How about you?"

Scar-Tail's eyes were equally of granite and just replied. "Never."

Ra'tarnik just raised his eyebrows in agreement. Both of them acting nonchalant about the desperate situation they had just been put in.

Suddenly, the one Xivilai on the right formed a fireball in his hand and roared out against the two warriors. It then hurtled the ball of fire right for the two. Both of the two dodged out of the way with Scar-Tail grabbing Apoltis by the stomach.

The fireball hit against a tree but did not catch it on fire. Both Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik were behind trees for cover with Scar-Tail having a death grip on Apoltis. Scar-Tail inched his head around the trunk of the tree and was ready for another attack.

Apoltis was breathing heavily not fully realizing what had just happened. He just closed his eyes and had hoped for the best. He looked up at Scar-Tail who was still looking around the trunk of the tree. He then said, "Thanks uncle!"

Scar-Tail withdrew his attention from the two Xivilai and had a surprised look on his face. He looked down at Apoltis and saw him smiling back up at him. He knew that the child was thankful for his life being saved. Scar-Tail's stone stair broke at the very sight of the child's smiling face. Once again, he was reminded that he did care for the young one. He had no idea really how to react. He had never been thanked for anything he had ever done in his life. He had been in many battles and had never been thanked properly. Especially by a child. An Imperial child no less.

His reptilian eyes began to feel heavy with liquid. Tears. He blinked and had a slight tear slide down his face. Apoltis face twisted into confusion as he saw the tear slide down his "uncle's" face. Scar-Tail broke his mean demeanor and smiled down at the boy and said in his rough, scary voice, "You are welcome, kid." He rubbed Apoltis's head with his free hand and then refocused his gaze back on to the daedra staring him down his eyes returning to stone pearls inside his head.

Ra'tarnik saw Scar-Tail rub Apoltis's head and yelled out across from the tree he was in cover from, "Is he okay?"

Scar-Tail only looked over at the noble khajiit for a second and uttered out one word, "Fine!" The anger of Ra'tarnik taking his focus off the two daedra enemies was more then evident.

Having a death grip on Apoltis, Scar-Tail's back to the tree, while Ra'tarnik saw the left Xivilai twisting its arms in circles while the other was walking right over to the three. Ra'tarnik nor Scar-Tail were not exactly sure how to fight these things. The two had never seen any enemy like these two. They seemed to be very good at magic but neither knew how adept they were in physical combat. That was when both of them got the same idea but Ra'tarnik was the first one to utter it. "Get him in the cave!"

Scar-Tail now gave his undivided attention to the khajiit. He had had the same idea but was not going to verbally give it to Ra'tartnik. He was just going to go for it with Apoltis and leave Ra'tarnik to his fate.

Ra'tarnik continued on, "I will try to give you a good diversion!"

Apoltis's face became drawn with worry. He began to struggle against Scar-Tail's grip but he was not going anywhere! "You cannot fight these things alone Ra'tarnik!" He screamed out.

Once again, Ra'tarnik showed his toothy grin directing it right at Apoltis, "It is okay little hero. I will see you in there." He looked at Scar-Tail and yelled out to him, "Get him in there now and try not to trip on your own tail while you're at it!"

Scar-Tail growled at Ra'tarnik and tightened his grip even further on Apoltis and said, "You do the same!"

Scar-Tail suddenly spun out from the tree and began to run with Apoltis in hand.

Ducking down behind his tree as a long bolt of lighting hit his cover-tree, Ra'tarnik spun out and went right for the left daedra since that was the one projecting the lighting.

Clawed, scaled feet covered with dark boots pounded the ground as Scar-Tail raced for the cave entrance when suddenly he saw the one moving towards him change course to get a better shot at him and Apoltis. Ra'tarnik had not distracted this one. Scar-Tail could not stop moving since if he did; he and Apoltis would be a still target for the monster.

Ra'tarnik saw that the farthest one from him had changed direction not taking its focus off of Scar-Tail. He raced for the one closest to him, the one still projecting the lighting, and flew into the air jumping right for the one going after Scar-Tail and Apoltis.

His foot first landed on the arms of the left Xivilai and supported his weight making a nice jumping platform for another jump right for the monster locked right on Scar-Tail. He whipped back his right arm and threw his steel war ax right for the back of the daedra's head.

The ax flew through the air and hit the back of the daedra's head and embedded right into the back of its cranium. No blood came out but it was certainly effected. It turned its head and let out one of those multiple echoed roars and pointed right at Ra'tarnik.

Scar-Tail and Apoltis were already in the cave but Apoltis was yelling out for Ra'tarnik. He wanted him to join them but Scar-Tail did not stop even when they got into the cave. He did not care about the khajiit. He was actually hoping that the ax-wielding beast person was dead or would be dead.

Ra'tarnik was not though. He grabbed his embedded ax and ripped it from the back of the head of the Xivilai. He was back on the ground and spun his body down to the ground trying to slice at the daedra to his left-hand side. He did not hit it but the Oblivion native beast did have to back up a couple of steps not to be slashed.

Ra'tarnik spun back up with his two axes slashing at both Xivilai making them both rethink the mortal they were facing. Becoming a tornado of bladed fury as he spun his whole body one more time, trying to hit the two or at least make them more weary of him.

He stopped and then drove both axes right into the chest of the right one but again there was no blood. The right Xivilai, the one with the two axes buried in its chest, grabbed the two handles and ripped the two weapons from its bosom with no blood at all. The mortal weapons had no effect as the gashes left in his chest were instantly healed with the slash in the back of his head which had healed also. Both of the two gashes it had taken to its chest had completely disappeared.

Ra'tarnik had his back to the cave entrance as he watched the Xiviali throw his axes to the ground in front of his feet. Ra'tarnik began to pick them up slowly knowing that the two monsters were probably trying to lure him into a trap. No quicker then he had thought of it, did he dodge an incoming bolt of lighting. He flipped backwards right into the cave itself.

His two feet landing on the cold, wet rock of the cave floor. It was relaxing to him knowing that he had made it inside the cave with both of his weapons too.

The two Xiviali began to stalk Ra'tarnik and he retreated deeper into the cave. The monsters came within inches of the threshold of the cave but did not travel farther inside. They looked around the large mouth of the cave seeming to scan the outer rockwall of the cave. They roared out against Ra'tarnik but did not step inside. They seemed to be held back by some invisible wall.

Ra'tarnik was not complaining though but he also could not understand it. What prevented the two magical beasts from entering the cave? What barrier or guard kept them back? Was it Sheogorath? Did he want Ra'tarnik all for himself? What worried Ra'tarnik the most though was if he himself would be able to get back out. For now, this unknown force held the two powerful daedra at bay and it would have to do.

The daedra meanwhile were growling and jeering at the edge of the cave. They seemed to really want to get at Ra'tarnik but all they could do was just stay outside of the cave entrance and make their horrible sounds and faces.

Turning around, Ra'tarnik looked down the dark cave into obscurity. He couldn't see where Apoltis or his scaly adversary had gone. He began to walk deeper into the cave hoping to find them. Even though he was a warrior and a very skilled one at that, he knew deep inside himself that he would need help. The biggest thing on his mind though was the boy. Maybe his argonian compatriot had been waiting for just the right time to get the boy alone? Ra'tarnik could not help but think hostile thoughts about the amber-scaled argonian. He had seen for himself that the reptile did care for the boy but he had to be prepared. Maybe it was just a very clever ruse.

The dark did not bother Ra'tarnik at all either. Being a kahjiit he could see in the dark just as well as in the light. It was the only advantage he had over Scar-Tail in the dark cave and he was going to use it to his utmost skillfulness.

* * *

**(A/N: Alright! Another chapter done! I don't know about you guys but I am having a blast writing this! I hope all the readers are enjoying this too. I have only seen a couple of reviews so I'm taking that as a slight good thing. Even though it seems that he's never really played the Elder Scrolls games, he's certaintly enjoying the story. I would like an expert's review though. One familiar with the Elder Scrolls to review. Maybe you guys are just shy though. If that's the case, that's fine. I do encourage reviews though and hope to see more as time progress. Make'em wordy too if you want! I like reading them.)**


	6. Cave Of Madness

Meanwhile, deeper in the cave, the two were lost in the darkness. Not knowing where they were going but they were about to get a very strong hint.

Scar-Tail was literally dragging Apoltis by his arm deeper into the cave. Apoltis was struggling against him. He was trying to get him to go back for Ra'tarnik. Scar-Tail wasn't going to go back for him though. No matter how much Apoltis struggled against him.

Scar-Tail was attracted by some dim firelight. He could smell the cooking smell of food as well. Meat on a very strong fire. Either somebody was cooking food or somebody was on fire. He doubted the latter since he heard no screaming.

Apoltis finally yelled out with a hard tug, "We should not have left him out there!"

Scar-Tail turned around and hissed at Apoltis. It was a loud open-mouthed hiss. Just like a snake. His forked tongue writhed about inside his gaping maw and he finally said, "You need to be quiet!"

Apoltis just bellowed out, "Why?"

Scar-Tail stood erect and pointed down the cave to the lit stone and the burning fire beyond. Apoltis looked down at the dirt of the cave floor and then whispered to Scar-Tail, "We should not have left him!"

Scar-Tail did not even look at Apoltis as he scanned the corridor they were in. Trying to see around the well lit corner about twenty feet away from them when he said, "He can take care of himself."

Apoltis just shook his head, "That matters not! He could get hurt or worse!"

Scar-Tail hid his smile from Apoltis as he took a step near the orange fire light. "Well that would be just tragic." His facetious tone went unnoticed by Apoltis.

Buying into what he had said, Apoltis replied with, "Exactly! That is why we need to go back for him!" He was still slightly whispering but it was getting harder to do so. His emotions were welling up inside of him and he felt like they were going to explode out of him. He began walking toward the entrance to the cave but Scar-Tail grabbed a hold of his hood and held him back. It took at least five steps before Apoltis noticed he was not going anywhere! Turning around he asked, "Why are you stopping me? Do you hate him that much?"

Scar-Tail just sneered and made a long drawn-out hiss through his teeth. "Not as much as I would hate something happening to you."

Apoltis cared about both Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik. He could not just leave him to die. He had just left his mother to die and he was not going to do that to Ra'tarnik. He was going to go back to the entrance of the cave and find him. No matter what the costs. Locking his small feet in place he said, "I am going to go back for him. If you do not want anything to happen to me then come with me. Or keep going towards that fire light. Either way, I am not going to leave him to die like I did my mother!" His eyes grew heavy with tears and his emotions were swelling up even more inside of him. Scar-Tail saw this and from what Apoltis had just said, now understanding his drive for Ra'tarnik.

Bending down to one knee to face him, Scar-Tail held Apoltis by the shoulders. He then said, "Look kid, it was not your fault that your mother died. People die. It is the way of things. I understand that you are hurting inside but getting yourself killed really is not going to help anybody." Scar-Tail gripped the small boy's shoulders tightly and then choked out, "Including me."

Again, Scar-Tail's emotions were coming through. He cared about the boy. He was not going to risk the child's life for the sake of one khajiit. He would not sacrifice him for any of the khajiits in all of Tamriel. He was not going to let Apoltis go at all. If he could not talk the boy down from going, then he would have to knock him unconscious. It sickened him to his very core to even think about hitting him but if he had to, he would lay him out flat on the ground and carry him the rest of the way. All the way to another exit out of the cave. He certainly was not going to try his luck with an unconscious child on his back and against two monsters that seemed to be masters of the elements.

Apoltis thought about his words but he did not have to think about them for too long because both of them heard a noise in the darkness behind them. Scar-Tail had one of his short swords pulled and in the other arm he grabbed Apoltis. He held onto him tightly and pushed him behind his back. He held his sword and waited for another noise.

A soft shambling. The weird part was that it sounded above him. He looked upwards and there, in the darkness of the stone ceiling of the cave, were two green, emerald, jewel-like sparks. As if two emerald stones had been up there always and the two had just missed them. They shined down and suddenly the two heard a growl from in the darkness.

The small imperial hands of Apoltis grabbed a hold of Scar-Tail's clothing for some sort of protection. He was deathly afraid of whatever was making that shine. Scar-Tail even was a little shaken by what the glints in the darkness meant. Again, a deep bellow came from its direction and whatever manor of beast it was, it sounded powerful.

Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness along with a good look at the creature with the green glowing eyes! "Darkness to me is as clear as daylight!"

Apoltis yelled out in surprised delight, "Ra'tarnik!"

Ra'tarnik jumped off of a small stoop that was hidden by the darkness and his eyes returned to normal no longer having that cat-like glint to them. His fur was a bit dirty but looked no worse for wear.

Apoltis came out from behind Scar-Tail and hugged Ra'tarnik hard. Ra'tarnik actually had to take a step back from the boy pouncing on him and he said in reaction, "Whoa! Take it easy there champion!"

Apoltis looked up at him and said, "I was going to come back for you!"

A feline-like grin stretched across his face with the small boy still wrapped around his waist. He made a slight purring noise as he then said, "Well, I am glad you did not."

Confused, Apoltis looked up at Ra'tarnik with a perplexed look on his face. He then asked, "Why?"

Patting the kid on the back like one of his own cubs, Ra'tarnik said, "Because you would have been in harm's way. That is no way for you. Stay with your uncle."

Apoltis slowly turned his head to look at Scar-Tail while the argonian assassin was staring a hole right through the strong cat person. Finally he let go of Ratarnik and walked over to Scar-Tail's side with Scar-Tail finally speaking up having not one kind thing to say to the warrior khajiit. "It took you long enough to catch up."

A sly smile from Ra'tarnik walking towards Scar-Tail, "I did not see you sticking around to prove yourself superior." He walked past the two and once again Scar-Tail found himself restraining his sword hand from striking down the khajiit. He figured he should. It would save him a lot of trouble later but this time he was abruptly brought back to his senses by Apoltis quickly coming into view behind the khajiit telling him to follow them.

Quickly calming down, Scar-Tail retracted his sword back into its sheath and began to walk in their direction. His eyes being pools of rage. His teeth almost taking a mind of their own wanting to plunge themselves deep into Ra'tarnik's throat. Not because he was hungry or it was a fighting style he had been taught. No. Just because he was malicious by nature. Some of it was his training but most of it was his need to eviscerate Ra'tarnik in the most brutally way possible. How he hoped there were decomposing dead creatures ahead. Oh what he could do to his nemesis with a good, thin, sharp, rotten bone. Or just a little bit of cold, thick blood mixed with a pinch of dirt. Scar-Tail's mind began to race with possibilities of what he could do and his hopes were now starting to change. He started to hope that there was at least one dead animal down in this cave. Just a dead rat would do nicely. Maybe a horse abandon by its owner and left to starve in the cave. Even better…

The two ahead of Scar-Tail stopped abruptly and were staring off into a natural cave formed room. Scar-Tail's hands quickly grabbed his two short-sword hilts but then he got an eye full of what the two were staring at.

The three were gazing at a whole suburb underground. The large number of torches lit-up the large cavern that contained three story wooden huts. Most of the structures had these stairs that traveled upward like strange stalagmites. At each section of the stairs were three, small, square living quarters no bigger then a small town shop. They each had a small, square hole in them acting as windows to the outside. They had light in them as well.

Ra'tarnik and Scar-Tail both could smell the cooking meat as well and both of them were fighting not to be lost in the aroma of the delicious fragrance. Both of them being beast people and both of them being taught to obey their instincts. It was hard for the both of them not to lose themselves in the provocative smell of burning food. Especially burning flesh!

Apoltis was in front of the two and even his mouth began to water at the tasty aroma which filled the cave. It had not been that long since he had ate but that did not mean he did not have a nose for cooking. It was all over and becoming increasingly more succulent to smell.

The three began to walk towards the smell but only Scar-Tail was still aware of Apoltis and held onto his shoulders. He slowed down the advancing child while Ra'tarnik walked ahead about a couple of steps letting his cat-like nose sniff at the air pointed towards the ceiling. His tongue washing his nose and upper lip in a hungry display.

Suddenly, the three heard a voice that Ra'tarnik knew all too well. It had a thick accent to it, sounding like a mad imperial man. Ra'tarnik knew it was not that though. Knowing exactly who it was. "The food is free. Your presence is not."

The three spun around with Scar-Tail having his free arm wrap around Apoltis while the other had a short-sword at the ready. Ra'tarnik had both of his war-axes ready at the hip with a wide stance ready to dive into the first part of the daedra lord that seemed to be befitting of his steel.

Problem was, was that a daedra lord no matter how much power they had, could not enter the living world in a physical form. They either had to influence a mortal to carry some of their power and be willingly possessed or have a mortal do some outlandish deed for their power to have any kind of effect in the mortal world. They could not make direct contact. They could only influence mortals.

That was why all they were looking at was a stone statue of the daedra princess's face. It had a slight beard and mustache combination with his mouth wide open. He had narrow eyes and a predominant forehead. It was scattered with wrinkles and his eyes were featureless. (at least, on the statue.) He had average hair that came down to the mid-point of his neck.

Ra'tarnik could not help himself but to say, "Well, you are an ugly thing, aren't you?"

Sheogorath's voice yelled out a bit, "Oh yes Ra'tarnik, make jokes against a daedra prince! That is mad even for me! Maybe that is why I like you!"

Scar-Tail was confused at how calm Ra'tarnik could be at this point in time. They were talking to a man-sized stone statue of a person's head. Not a person - a daedra prince! Scar-Tail tried not to admit the existence of such powerful beings, outside of Sithis, but now that he was staring one down, he could not help but be a little taken back and have a feeling creep up on him with the strength of twelve stampeding horses. 'Run! Take Apoltis and run!'

Ra'tarnik continued his awkward conversation with the stone head. "Like me? And here I thought you hated me? I mean, I would hate me if I had spoiled my fun in Border Watch."

They heard a booming laugh come from the statue. It literality shook the cave and small fragments of rock came down from the cave ceiling and even some of the torches fires went out! "Hate? No Ra'tarnik! Such a confused mortal you are! You did not ruin my fun in Border Watch. You created it!"

Ra'tarnik's eyes now scoured the cave with confusion. He did not understand the daedric overlord. He did nothing to perpetuate the sadistic glee of this mad entity. Although, he was getting a keener idea as to why this particular daedra was named the Prince of Madness.

Sheogorath decided to clear the matter up a bit. "Border Watch was such a dull place. Bunch of kitties all worried about their cheese. They do not even use it to catch mice! Not very cat-like, is it?"

Apoltis had had enough! He stepped forward from Scar-Tail's grip and yelled out, "They are good people! Just trying to go about with their good lives!"

Scar-Tail pulled him back and got a tighter hold on him this time. He would make sure not to let go again.

If Sheogorath could shake his head right now, he would have. "Little do you know of me child. Such insolence towards a daedra prince as well! Apparently you know little of manors." Then Sheogorath thought about that for a moment and then said the following, "I like that. Your parents should be proud."

Apoltis eyes were stretched with anger. "I know manors all too well, daedra. Using manors requires respect and you deserve none from me."

Scar-Tail again having to hold Apoltis back with his arm. The boy was so full of life and vigor that the trained shadowscale wondered if he could manage to hold the child back for another five minutes or so. What Scar-Tail didn't realize was that there was another power at work making the boy stronger. A power that none of them could pick up on. Even Sheogorath.

Sheogorath then seemed to turn his attention to the argonian in the cave. "And who is this with you Ra'tarnik? The brat's wet nurse?"

Scar-Tail's grip on his short-sword tightened. He then hissed out against the stone statue, "Yes I am. And I am very, very good at my job."

Sheogorath let out this grizzly chuckle and said, "Are you now? Mind if I put that to the test."

The statue head began to shake suddenly and Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both backed away with Apoltis still in the argonian's clutches. The head's mouth began to open showing a purple glow inside the stone. It swirled about like churning water and as the statue opened, more of that purple glow shinning through. Scar-Tail held onto Apoltis tightly and Ra'tarnik readied himself with his two war-axes for anything that might charge out of the swirling vortex of purple illumination.

Nothing charged out of the vortex but something did indeed come out of it. At first, both warriors were ready to pounce but they stayed themselves at the mere sight of the exiting being.

It was a woman. Not just any woman either. She seemed to be a beautiful elf. She seemed to be a mixture of high elf and wood elf. Both of them knew though that she was probably neither. They knew she was probably a deadra. She was dressed in this golden armor that was scaled like a Daedroth's hide. She was tall and armed with a sword and shield.

Two more like her stepped out and joined a formation right behind the first. Then another two and more came from the other side until there were a total of nine of the well armed, well armored daedra standing before them.

Scar-Tail looked over at Ra'tarnik and said, "I have faced down many fighters, assassins, and monsters in my day. I think this is a first that I have ever faced down nine woman and been nervous about it."

Ra'tarnik just gave him a growl and said in response, "Not me."

Scar-Tail just looked over at him and said, "Let me guess, you weren't battling them."

Ra'tarnik's feline eyes glided upward thinking about what to say and replied, "Not those ones, no."

Again, Scar-Tail had to give him a quick glance.

Apoltis looked into the eyes of these deadra and wondered if they could be reasoned with. He wondered if there was any shred of humanity in them. He tried to convince himself that behind those golden-colored eyes of anger that there may be some kind of good. He decided to act on his suspicions. Picking at his clothes like an anxious child would, he finally spoke, "I know you follow Sheogorath and that you are at his beckon call."

Scar-Tail did not take his eyes off the golden-armored warrior women but he did think to himself about how much of a mistake Apoltis was making.

Unaware of Scar-Tail's thoughts, he went on, "I believe that there is some good in you. Please, let us talk about this. Either outside these cave walls or in some other, more pleasant part of the cave."

The golden saint in front of the other eight, wielding the golden long sword, did not take her glair away from the boy and just tightened the grip on her sword more. Her eyes burned with anger. A hidden anger. As if she was mad at the boy for just being there period. The other golden saints around her had an identical look as they too were transfixed on the small child.

Thick, cat-like claws dug at the hilts of Ra'tarnik's war axes as he became more and more uneasy with the looks the warrior women were giving the small lad. He spun the two axes in his hands and then said, "Or - we can settle this in a more productive fashion. One that will not only appease your ignorant master but also give me quite the thrill."

The golden saints suddenly attacked having vile words about their master irresponsibly flung about. It had hit home with the saints and now they were on the attack against the two mortal combatants.

Reptilian scales spun like a whirlwind as Scar-Tail blocked an oncoming golden blade aimed directly at Apoltis. He then tapped the blade with his short sword and drove his blade right into the throat of the golden saint. He reminded himself to be mad at Ra'tarnik later for putting Apoltis in harms way.

Right now though, he was focused on the wounded saint. She dropped to the ground to her knees and Scar-Tail quickly pulled his sword from the throat of the dead daedra. She dropped face first to the ground and then her entire body faded away. Scar-Tail was at a loss for action until he dodged two golden arrows that nearly caught him in the shoulder keeping his death grip on Apoltis. Keeping him from harm.

Meanwhile, Ratarnik was already dealing with five saints. He had dealt with highly trained fighters before but the way they moved and how fast they were was unimaginable. He was having the time of his life too as he blocked incoming arrows and dodged around the five saints like a cat zipping underneath a table after a mouse. He wound up behind one of them near the open mouth of Sheogorath and drove the bladed-edge of one of his axes right into the ribs of the woman and then slashed at the back of her neck with his free ax. Her head spun off like a twisting stone caught in a strong wind and both her body and head fell to the cave floor. Both of them fading away in mere moments.

Ra'tarnik made a slight crazed snicker and focused on the other four sending one of his war axes right into the head of one of the saints. It flew from his hand twisting through the air right towards its intended target. It smacked right into the brain base and a spurt of blood came from the saint's forehead. She dropped like a rock with the war ax still sticking out of her cranium. She then disappeared and the ax hit the ground with a chink echoing throughout the cave. A strange sound of victory.

Ra'tarnik rushed to grab it and as he did, he was attacked by the three remaining saints. One slammed her sword on the ground trying to lob off the cat man's head. Another, had two daggers and sent them right for the rock floor nearly planting them deep in the spine of the fast moving, combat educated khajiit.

He missed them both with execution of some great skill and movement that he believed that only a khajiit could pull off. He came up with both of his axes but one of the golden saints was ready with a war ax all her own, blocking the move.

Apoltis was still being held onto by Scar-Tail as the argonian had him hidden behind a rock wall along with himself. The golden arrows bounced off the side of the wall as all Scar-Tail thought about was keeping the boy safe. His silver short-sword was at the ready and all he could do was look around the corner of the wall as another arrow was sent his way. It bounced off the wall though and missed him. He slide back behind cover as Apoltis was looking at Ra'tarnik from behind cover. He watched the cat person move with the fluidity of water and the grace of a dancer. He could not believe that a person as big as Ra'tarnik could move with such grace and not only that, but in the armor he had on.

Apoltis pulled at the grip of Scar-Tail and Scar-Tail grunted a bit, "What? What are you trying to do? They wish not to speak to you, unless they get to cut your tongue from your head afterwards."

"We have to help him." Apoltis whined out.

"Like Oblivion we do!" Scar-Tail growled out.

"He is our friend, uncle!"

Scar-Tail tried to figure out if Apoltis was still acting or if he was starting to believe that Scar-Tail was actually becoming family to him. He could not think about that now. "He is your friend," Scar-Tail said, "not mine. Especially since he is the cause of all this!"

Apoltis grunted at Scar-Tail, "You are right, he is my friend. Let me go!" He struggled against Scar-Tail's tight grip but the well-trained argonian assassin was too much for his tiny body to fight.

Holding back Apoltis, Scar-Tail thought about actually helping the battle hardened khajiit. Sure, Scar-Tail figured he was some kind of gold hunting killer, probably wanting some of Scar-Tail's blood, and he was the most annoying khajiit he had ever ran into. One thing above all this though, stuck out in his mind though. He was indeed Apoltis's friend, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He cursed himself more times then he should of and finally let go of Apoltis.

He held onto the boy's shoulders and knelt down in front of him. He winced as he stared at the boy's eyes and heard two more golden arrows hit the wall. He spoke softly to the child, "You do not move from this spot. Okay? Don't you move."

Apoltis knew what he was about to do. He looked at the scaled hands of Scar-Tail as they gripped his shoulders. He looked at them in a whole new light. The dark yellow scales with black-faded claws. Even though they still had that predatorily look that Apoltis feared, he now saw them in a whole new way. He looked at them with care and respect.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around the argonian assassin's neck and gave him a tight hug. Scar-Tail eyes grew wide with shock and his hands still gripped on shoulders that were no longer there. He was frozen as he felt the tight hug from the boy. A slight hiss came from Scar-Tail. One that had not escaped the argonian's lips in a long time. One of the joy of being held by a loved one. Scar-Tail had not felt actual love since his time with the royal court of Argonia, training as a shadowscale. His arms slightly bent towards the boy's back and he was going to return the embrace. His reptilian eyes forming tears just like back at the tree outside the cave. He closed his eyes and let two of the tear droplets slide down his face and roll down to his chin.

He stopped himself from hugging the boy back though and just held him by the shoulders again, pulling him away from him. Apoltis was a bit confused but he swallowed and nodded his head. Scar-Tail patted him on the head and revealed both his silver short-swords.

Dodging out of cover, he walked with purpose towards the golden suited archer. The archer pulled back on the bow and adjusted her vision. She let one of her arrows fly but it was smacked out of the air by Scar-Tail's sword. The arrow was cut in half and the two pieces fell on the ground in shambled bits.

Slipping to his left, he went for a lunge for the archer and drove his sword right into the ribs of the female rogue. She tilted her head back to let out a gasp but Scar-Tail had already cut her throat with his free sword.

Blood escaped the wound like pouring water and she fell to the ground dead. Not before Scar-Tail ripped the sword from her ribs though and with it, the only thing holding him back from aiding Ra'tarnik. Her body disappearing as Scar-Tail rushed to Ra'tarnik's side.

Ra'tarnik was still fighting off four of the golden saints as Scar-Tail joined the fray with a silent and deadly maneuver. He spun on the ground with his two swords trying to lob off the feet of one of the saints. She jumped barely hearing the silent, quick assassin.

She turned and sliced at him with her golden sword. He rolled forward and jumped up right next to Ra'tarnik who was having a one-on-one battle with the saint holding the war ax.

Turning his head, Ra'tarnik growled at Scar-Tail, "What are you doing?"

Scar-Tail blocked an incoming blow from one of the saints and replied, "What does it look I'm doing, fleabag? I'm saving your sorry, tick infested, furry hide!"

"And what in Tameriel makes you think I need saving?"

The saint Scar-Tail was fighting slashed her sword out of place of the argonian's two blocking swords, she tried for another swing as Scar-Tail said, "Not me!"

Ra'tarnik blocked two shots from the saint he was fighting and took three swings of his own as he now knew who Scar-Tail was referring to. He smiled on of his toothy grins and said, "That must eat away at you that he cares about me."

Scar-Tail jumped back and threw one of his daggers right at the saint with the sword. The dagger sunk deep into her chest of the golden-armored girl and she dropped to her knees dropping her sword to the ground. She then disappeared from existence along with her sword. The dagger fell to the ground and was clean as if Scar-Tail had just launched it at air.

Reptilian eyes looked at Ra'tarnik with hatred and said, "You have no idea!"

From behind cover, Apoltis watched the two fight with a grace that he did not know that the two warriors could have. He slightly smiled to himself and said silently to himself, "I knew those two were knights!"

An arm slithered around Apoltis's stomach and he felt a tight grip suddenly around his waist as he was hauled into the air. He struggled a bit and tried to call out for Scar-Tail until a hand gripped his mouth to keep him silent. It was one of the worshippers of Sheogorath. He had the boy in a tight grip and started to drag him over to the stone statue of Sheogorath. There was only one of him since all the others had either left or had commited sucide to appeases their daedric overlord.

The statue had its mouth open and the purple light began to swirl inside the mouth of the stone face. Apoltis tried again to struggle out of his captors grip but it was no use. He watched the statue get closer as the light inside began to swirl larger. It covered the entire mouth in time and it was big enough for Apoltis to fit through. That was what he was scarred of and that was what the worshipper was planning.

He situated the boy with his head pointed right for the swirling vortex of purple light. Apoltis shook his head and with scarred eyes he bit the worshipper's hand. The worshipper took his hand away from Apoltis's mouth but still had him captive. Apoltis screamed out, "Scar!"

Scar-Tail let out this loud hiss as he heard the fear-ridden voice of Apoltis. He sliced off the hand of a golden saint and flung her to the ground easily making her body disappear. He looked over where Apoltis was captured and ran right for the worshipper with both of his swords out and ready for the acolyte's blood. His two arms outstretched like a bird of prey flying through the air at its next meal.

Maine covered ears twitched and Ra'tarnik looked over as well and saw Apoltis's predicament. He could not leave the heat of battle as he was in a struggle with two golden saints at once now. He just hoped the argonian could save the kid.

Swinging back one of his swords, Scar-Tail swung for the acolyte and hit home cutting a large gash right in the back of the worshipper. He fell to the ground but not before he had chucked Apoltis through the swirling vortex of purple light.

Scar-Tail came to an abrupt halt in front of the spiraling gateway and yelled out, "Boy? Come on kid, say something!" After a few second of silence from the vortex, the wounded worshipper on the ground started this maniacal laughing, and Ra'tarnik finished off one of the two golden saints as Scar-Tail yelled at the stone gateway, "Apoltis!"

Nothing. He was gone. Trapped inside the plane of madness. Alone in that demented daedra lord's world. Scar-Tail curled his lips back showing his teeth as he opened his mouth and let out this loud, blood curdling, raspy roar. Sheathing one of his short-swords, he swung his head downward at the acolyte and grabbed him by his dirty tunic and hauled him up by it. He brought the worshipper right to his face and locked his eyes on his.

Those reptilian eyes stared a hole right into the evil monk. The random worshipper shook with fear as he stared directly into the eyes of the dangerous argonian. His two fins on his head looking like horns. His slit eyes held a fury that Scar-Tail had never felt before and he knew exactly how to take it out.

Tilting his head a bit, Scar-Tail saw that Ra'tarnik was still locked in combat with one golden saint. He figured he had a little time. Tilting his head back he heard the voice of the worshipper start to speak, "Sheogorath demeaned it! You can not…"

Not even letting him finish, Scar-Tail ran one of his short-swords right through the side abdomen of the monk and heard him let out this thin, raspy cry. It reminded him of when he had seen younger argonian's die on the battlefield. Unlike before though, it was satisfying to him. He knew it was not enough to kill the worshipper, just to get him to talk. Then he would kill him.

The random monk grabbed Scar-Tail's shoulders and a slight bit of red blood flowed from his weak lips. He shook on the sword's blade and the color in his skin seemed to fade away. He looked back up at Scar-Tail and tried to talk but Scar-Tail just turned the blade ever so slightly and it made the monk shake more and kept him quiet.

"If it's not about where the kid went, I care none for it." Scar-Tail said almost innocently. He tilted his head a bit as the worshipper let out this soft cry looking down at the blade stuck in his anatomy. "Where is he?" The sadistic, scaled assassin asked.

The monk struggled against the pain of the sword to speak but all he could do was let out these half words. Not making sense to Scar-Tail. Again he tilted the sword just a bit. Not even turning his wrist a fraction of a rat's hair and it made the monk quiver with pain. Scar-Tail then hissed out, "You won't live long. Answer my question and I will relive your suffering."

Tilting his head back, the worshipper let out this agonizing gurgle and then floated his head back down and struggled to say, "The Shivering Isles."

Scar-Tail looked at the ground and thought about where in Tameriel that was. He then put a bit of pressure on the hilt of the sword causing the random monk to squeal out in extraordinary pain. Scar-Tail then asked, "Where are these Shivering Isles?"

Weakly, the monk raised his hand and pointed to the spinning purple vortex that was still in the mouth of the stone statue. Scar-Tail turned his head slowly and looked at the vortex. He then looked back at the monk and twisted the sword more then he had before, turning it almost at a 90 degree angle.

Flinging back his head in agony, the monk screamed out in pain and yelled out through gritted teeth, "I though you were going to let me go?"

Gently, Scar-Tail let go of the monk's tunic and grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands and then said, "I did not say anything about letting you go. Just that I would relieve you of your suffering and so I shall." With that, the skilled argonian assassin; trained in the art of murder and torture, sliced the worshipper's entire body right open spilling his guts on the stone floor.

The monk let out these muffled gasps of air and fell to his knees holding onto what was left of his innards and then onto the ground, face first in a pool of his own blood.

Scar-Tail swallowed hard and a slight smirk crossed his face. He looked over at the purple swirling vortex inside the stone Sheogorath's mouth and said to it, "I am coming for you Apoltis!"

Slamming his ax down on the last golden saint's head and beating the last one, Ra'tarnik looked over at Scar-Tail and saw him disembowel the random monk. He removed his ax from the saint's head and walked over to Scar-Tail and saw him staring at the swirling vortex. He then asked, "Was that really necessary?"

Scar-Tail did not even hesitate bringing both of his short-swords out and attacking Ra'tarnik. Ra'tarnik acted accordingly and defended himself. Both of them fighting with each other. Both blocking combinations from each, Scar-Tail being the aggressor until both came to the edge of a cave wall with Scar-Tail holding back Ra'tarnik from slicing off his arms and Ra'tarnik keeping both silver swords away from his neck. Locked in a deathly stalemate.

With anger and hate in his voice, Scar-Tail said to Ra'tarnik, "You might not care what happens to that kid but I do! Gutting that pathetic imperial was the best way to get any answers out of him!"

Ra'tarnik responded, "You Brotherhood monsters! You think gutting someone is the answer to everything!"

"Do not act so high and mighty in front of me! Your blood thirst rivals even my own. Admit it kitty, your claws have sunken into more flesh then mine."

With a grunt, Ra'tarnik said, "I highly doubt it! If you don't let me go, your scales will know the touch of my claws, axes, and teeth!"

Scar-Tail alleviated some of the force and Ra'tarnik did the same. Neither one though letting either out of their predicament. Scar-Tail then said, "We will finish this later. Right now, all I care about is the safety of that kid. Nothing else matters." More pressure was released and Ra'tarnik was a little free to move but he dared not to let his guard down completely as the shadowscale went on. "I have not cared for anybody in a long time. I care about him. If you dare stand in my way, I will cut you down where you stand."

Ra'tarnik was still not sure if the argonian assassin was telling the truth or if he was lying. He just was not sure. His eyes were too hard to read. What he did read though was pain. Whether the shadowscale was telling the truth about caring about the kid or not, one thing Ra'tarnik was sure about, was that the very soul of the argonian was broken. He had nothing left to live for. After studying the argonian, Ra'tarnik finally said, "If you are serious about saving that kid we better get moving."

The silver blades withdrew away from the khajiit's throat and Scar-Tail said solemnly, "Agreed." He let Ra'tarnik go and Ra'tarnik let Scar-Tail walk over to the portal. He was about to go in when he was joined by the warrior khajiit. He looked over and said, "What are you doing?"

Swiftly looking at Scar-Tail, Ra'tarnik said, "You know, I think Sheogorath stole the kid to bring me into his realm, not you."

"He does not know me too well." Scar-Tail said spinning his two swords in his hands.

Ra'tarnik looked at his war axes and said, "He does me. I just hope he also knows that if he has hurts a hair on that kid, I will dissect him limb from limb!"

"If that is the case, you can have what is left of him when I am done. It will not be that much."

The two stood in front of the portal and Scar-Tail was the first one who jumped in followed by Ra'tarnik. Their two bodies disappearing from their own world and traveling to the other. The realm of madness. The Shivering Isles.


	7. Place Your Bets

**(A/N: I tried to get Sheogorath's personality down as much as I could. Tell me if I was right or did I just totally make him look like a baffoon?)**

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The two fell out of the vortex landing on a dusty patch of ground. Ra'tarnik lay on top of Scar-Tail and the skilled, murdering argonian pushed the large khajiit from off of him saying, "Who do you think I am? Go get your kitty jollies somewhere else!"

Ra'tarnik brushed the dust off of himself as he stood up saying, "Even if I was that way, I would rather go after a one-hundred year old dunmer with one eye and a bad limp!"

"Good!" Scar-Tail said, standing brushing himself off as he looked around with his reluctant partner doing the same. The two saw an awesome sight as they now were focused on seeing there surroundings. They saw dust for about three hundred paces all around them that ended into a stone and metal wall. Their keen eyes followed the wall upward and saw all sorts of races of Tameirel pilling into seats. They were in an arena!

The two stood back-to-back with their weapons pulled. Scar-Tail with both of his short-swords of silver and Ra'tarnik holding his two war axes with readiness.

Reaching his head backwards, Scar-Tail said in Ra'tarnik's ear, "Do you see the boy anywhere in the crowd?"

Ra'tarnik looked about the crowd as people took their seats, fiddling with their mundane clothing. He even saw some that had weapons hidden underneath the clothing. There were plenty of children in the stadium as well but not one Imperial boy who looked remotely close to Apoltis. Growling out, Ratarnik replied, "No."

"Neither do I." Scar-Tail said, scanning the other half of the arena.

Suddenly, a voice boomed out from the front of the arena catching both of their attention. "Is this what you are looking for?"

The two saw a massive viewing box with one single, decorated chair. In it was Sheogorath himself. He was overlooking the battleground in the arena like the omnipotent creature he was. His hand was palm open leading the two's attention to a small cage-like contraption containing Apoltis. He gripped the bars like a bird in a cage struggling to get out yelling, "Scar, I'm scared!"

Scar-Tail showed his small yet sharp teeth yelling up at Apoltis, "Don't worry boy! We are coming to get you!"

Sheogorath smiled a wicked devilish grin and said, "No you are not! Not unless you want the boy to experience death more times then a thousand wars of dead soldiers!"

Swinging his two war axes in his hands, Ra'tarnik pointed up at Sheogorath and yelled up at him, "Let the kid go, you maniacal daedra! It is me you want!"

"Oh Ra'atarnik, I am mildly disappointed in you. You actually thought I took the kid because I am interested in you?"

The two beast warriors looked at each other a bit puzzled.

"I took the child because I wanted all three of you. The whole kitten-caboodle, you might say."

Ra'tarnik couldn't resist, "For what?"

"Well, I am glad you asked." Sheogorath stood up and outstretched his arms, "This world is in need of entertainment. The chaos around here has gotten a little stale. So I thought I would put on a little show of showmanship involving one of my favorite khajiits. I also thought I would invite his close friend because I could tell you both would give all of us quite a show. I mean, what's better then one bull-head beast putting a damper on my fun? Two of them!"

Scar-Tail stepped forward saying, "Let the child go or so help me Akatosh I will carve your black heart from your daedric chest!"

Slightly snarling at Scar-Tail, Sheogorath looked at the dirt under his nails and said, "As tempting as the offer is I will have to decline. You see, you scaly little brute, he is wanted by a very powerful daedra worshipper. Not one of mine but he has a very irresistible offer on the table to any and all daedra who can deliver the small little meat chunk."

"Not if I get to him first!" Scar-Tail hissed out.

"That's the spirit, argonian! You are going to need it." With that, the daedra lord spun around like he had just been doing a dance and pulled a lever to his left. It was a big lever and made a loud clunk that echoed around the arena as it flew back.

Down in the arena battleground, a large gate began to rise in front of the two warriors right under the viewing box Sheogorath was in. It was at least thirty feet high and began to steadily raise upward into the arena structure. It was releasing something out of the darkness.

Standing ready to face Oblivion the two warriors stood. Scar-Tail looked over at Ra'tarnik and hissed out, "You think it will be something big?"

Ra'tarnik just growled a bit and said in a harder voice then normal, "In Border Watch he took over people's bodies, turned the sky red, killed crops and livestock, and pretty much scared everybody to death. Including me. We are here in his world now. Honestly, I am not worried about it being big. I am worried at just what its going to take to kill it!"

The gate was fully open now and out of the darkness came a roar of unquestionable terror. It sounded like a colossal sized bear. Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both jumped in readiness. They were not afraid but they were wary.

Apoltis heard it too and looked down at the arena. All he saw was his two friends down in the dust of the battle ground preparing to go to war. He looked over at Sheogorath who was no more than three feet away from him. He went over to the side of the cage and looked up at the daedra lord asking, "What are they facing down there?"

Awkwardly, Sheogorath turned his head towards Apoltis and answered, "Now if I told you that, it would ruin the surprise. Wouldn't it?"

Letting out a frustrated breath, Apoltis turned his head back down to the arena and watched on in a stunned horror at what exited out of the arena's pit.

The two warriors down on the ground watched on in preparation and intimidation as one long, ghastly, tombstone grey leg came out of the blackness. Stepping onto the ground like a moving stone pillar. A large plume of dust accompanied the leg as it stepped into the light. It looked similar to a mud-crab only five-hundred times bigger.

Another large leg then stepped out opposite the other. It too impacted the ground with force and a cloud of dust raised up the leg ominously. The two legs moving back, supporting some great weight beyond the darkness.

Slowly, a beast made its way out of the darkness. The two watched the horrible thing crawl into the light as they could not even begin to guess what deep hellish abyss of Oblivion this thing came from. At least four spherical eyes in a row that protruded from an upside down, egg-shaped head. Mandibles underneath looking like a spider's but moving like a grasshopper's. Dripping with a clear ooze-like substance from hungry, sharp fangs.

It suddenly rushed out of the archway going after the two. Scar-Tail was the first one to move as this incredibly large beast chased him. Ra'tarnik got a better look as he was somewhat frozen with amazement having never seen such a large or evil beast. Its body was mostly like a spider and it even had a large abdomen that followed right behind it. It had ten legs though instead of a spider's eight but it moved just like a spider after the argonian.

Scar-Tail rushed over to the nearest wall to escape the tromping, speeding monster. It came at him hungrily as he ran to escape the nearly twenty-five foot arachnoid monster.

His feet pounded the dirt in the arena as Scar-Tail's nimbleness was put to the test. The large beast right on his heels, Scar-Tail ran at the closest wall and suddenly ran right up it changing direction while still being on the wall separating the crowd from the terror below.

The beast followed him right up the wall, sliding sideways and clambering up the wall right after him. Scar-Tail ran sideways across the wall until gravity took hold and he jumped right down to the ground. His feet hitting hard with enough force to propel him forward as he kept the racing pace. The large-legged monster followed right behind him coming off the wall easier than Scar-Tail did. With its legs gliding off the wall like a well-oiled machine.

It followed right after him as Scar-Tail ran right past Ra'tarnik. He yelled out to him as he ran past, "Well, you going to give me a hand or not?"

The giant Oblivion behemoth crawled right over Ra'tarnik as he yelled out to the running argonian, "Oh, I'm sorry I thought you were having fun." His sarcasm was not appreciated by Scar-Tail.

Twirling his two war-axes, Ra'tarnik ran after the giant beast as it hunted down Scar-Tail. Ra'tarnik had a hard time keeping up with the beast not being as nimble as the argonian assassin. He was right next to the back leg as it stomped in near unison with the others. The khajiit warrior still couldn't believe he was doing this as he tried to find a good spot to bury his weapons.

Moving his hand near his thigh, Scar-Tail was searching for one of his hidden daggers, sheathing his swords not wanting to get too close to the ugly monster. He grabbed a small hilt and pulled the dagger from his leg keeping up his stout running. Panting and knowing of wolves that couldn't run as fast as he was.

Using the wall as leverage, he kicked off of it, back flipping with grace that any cat would be jealous of. He spun right around to face the beast and threw the dagger right at the thing's head. It flew through the air like an odd shaped arrow and hit dead center of the mandibles.

It sunk deep into the flesh but it failed to slow down the beast at all. Scar-Tail ran off to the other side of arena, limited to running around in circles again. Unable to fight off the large monster effectively.

Still looking for a good spot to plant one of his war axes, Ra'tarnik had seen Scar-Tail's agility and was more than impressed then by it. He had fought a lot of the different peoples from Cyrodiil but he believed he had never seen such an act of prowess.

He finally found the right site and reached back with all his strength and suddenly struck down on the large moving column of a leg. The monster stopped abruptly and screamed out with a high pitched noise; sounding somewhat like a strangled mouse. Ra'tarnik then planted his other ax and he began to scale the beast. He got to its abdomen quickly but by then, the monster began bucking and flailing around, trying to get rid of the warrior khajiit.

Turning around, Scar-Tail watched in slight relief that Ra'tarnik had gotten the beast off of him. He wondered if the warrior cat-man could finish the monster off by himself. He got his answer quick.

Strike after strike, Ra'tarnik scaled the back of the beast as he edged his way towards the head. It swung around like a raging bull as it crawled around the arena. It tried in vain to rid itself of the persistent warrior as it charged around the arena. The one thing it did accomplish though was stopping Ra'tarnik from making any more progress. He was so taken back by the force of the monster thundering around the arena that his strength had reached its limit. He was fighting both the beast and the force of gravity. He hung on tight against it all as the monster circled the arena.

Scar-Tail's keen reptilian eyes followed the beast as it charged around the arena. He sunk down low to the ground waiting for his own opportunity. He pulled out one silver short-sword and waited for his moment. When the rampaging behemoth passed over him, he struck, popping himself like a top and driving his sword right into the under belly of the furious creature.

The monster nearly tripped over its own legs as it felt the entirety of Scar-Tail's blade drive deep into its anatomy. It still kept running regardless as it now tried to get both of the fierce combatants off of itself.

Now, both fighters were pinned to the monster as it raged through the arena. Both beast-people struggling to do more damage to the spider-like creature than they had already done. Ra'tarnik and Scar-Tail clung to their weapons for dear life as the monster once in awhile slammed its body into the guarding walls.

Apoltis watched the events unfold from his cage, gripping the bars with worry for both. They looked like small, strange insects trying to overwhelm a spider. He looked up at Sheogorath who seemed to be exceedingly enjoying the utter mayhem.

The daedra lord looked at the boy with a sadistic smile across his face asking Apoltis, "What? Are you not enjoying this?" He looked back at the arena grounds, "This is what they live for boy. This is why their blood flows through their veins. The thrill of the kill." Sheogorath cocked his head back at the boy and slyly said, "In a way, I am giving them what they so desperately need to survive. I wonder, do they travel with you because they like you or because they know a powerful enemy is after you? One that can give them a challenge that no mere mortal can give them."

Blinking, Apoltis thought about Sheogorath's words. He looked at the grounds of the arena and wondered if that really was the only reason they followed him. He then looked back at Sheogorath as the daedra lord had his attention on the action down below, Apoltis yelled out, "No! You are wrong about them! Ra'tarnik defended the people of Border Watch out of honor. Maybe he does live for the kill but he only kills things that would otherwise kill others! He is a good person.

Scar, is a good person too. Even though he does not know it himself. He saved my life. More than once. I have seen it in his eyes. And even though he doesn't show it, I know he cares for me. He is a dragon knight!" Apoltis's eyes became filled with hate and rage for the daedra lord, "And I hope he gets a chance to show you how good of a knight he really is!"

Sheogorath sneered and responded, "Well, you better hope he is part dragon because then he might last longer than ten seconds against me!"

Back down in the dirt of the arena, the oblivion spider slammed into the wall and this time it stayed against it. It tried racking its back against the wall trying to get Ra'tarnik off. The khajiit warrior was already too far up its back to be affected.

Scar-Tail's sword slipped a bit out of the creature opening up a perfect opportunity. He let go of the sword's hilt and dropped to the ground as the big daedra crawled up against the wall. He pulled out his second sword and rushed up a front twitching leg and jumped at the pinnacle of the limb. He spun in the air with his sword held high above his head and planted the blade right down into the thing's neck.

The sword's point blasted out of the underside of the neck causing a dark green ooze to spurt from the wound. The thing let out that long, mousey screech and went into a psychotic run of the arena.

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both held on for dear life with the argonian assassin kneeling down, pushing the blade in farther on the rampaging creature with Ra'tarnik being thrown off of the giant monster.

Hitting hard, Ra'tarnik rolled on the ground and kicked up a trail of dust as he rolled all the way to the other side of the arena loosing both of his axes. He got up rather quickly and watched in awe as the monster went right over him in a rampage.

Scar-Tail hung on as the thing finally had a spasm jumping into the air and turning onto its back where it continued to flail and let out that screech of pain. Scar-Tail had jumped off the monster and had landed on his feet as he watched the monster convulse on the ground. It made a huge cloud of dirt as it twitched and convulsed in the arena.

Backing away from the injured daedra, Scar-Tail joined Ra'tarnik looking at him with intensity. The two then ran at the thing and Scar-Tail grabbed his silver short-sword out of the thing's abdomen and began to repeatedly stab it. The arachnoid rolled sideways to get away from the blood raging argonian. It exposed its back and the two warriors easily grabbed their other weapons and began a spree of chops, hacks, and slashes as they tore the creature apart. It rolled around and flung its legs at the two but to no avail.

Keeping up the onslaught, the two cut and hacked until there was nearly nothing left. Its motion slowed until it was just a dead, giant mess of green and black mush. Green entrails and anatomy leaked out of the monster as it laid dead on the ground. It began to crease into a ball and stayed in that position.

Finally, the two backed off from the dead creature only hacking and slashing at dead meat. Both beast-people backed up against the guarding wall and slid down it, sitting down, slightly exhausted from the fight.

The crowd stood in uproarious applause and even Sheogorath stood clapping for the two. The arena must have applauded for nearly a minute before Sheogorath calmed them down and said to the two, "Brilliant! Truly a spectacle of chaos and death! Now, lets see how you do against something that has experience." He turned his attention to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have seen these two beat down the worst of the wildlife that the Shivering Isles had to offer but now they will face off against one who knows terror. I present the champion of the arena: Big Red!"


	8. All Bets Are Off

**(A little longer then I like but still I think it turned out good. Let me know what you think. Also, did I still keep Sheogorath in character? I hope I did. His type of character is awesome to write. Method to his madness archatype.)**

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Scar-Tail sat straight up from the guarding wall, walking angrily right up to the watch box. He spun his swords back into their sheathes as a group of golden saints and dark seducers came out and began to haul the corpse of the dead daedra from the arena grounds. Pointing up at Sheogorath he demanded, "We past your crazy test, let him go! Now!"

Sheogorath was still standing when he said, "Argonian, you own nothing here and command even less. No mortal, no matter how powerful they are, gives me orders. You will…"

"Forget this!" Scar-Tail said, running up the barricade wall traveling right up into the bleachers of the arena. Unsheathing both swords, he forced most people out of their seats. Some producing their own weapons but gutlessly got out of the way of the rampaging argonian. He sped right up to the watch box looking at Sheogorath with fire in his reptilian eyes. His amber-scaled hands tightly around the hilts of his swords.

Two golden saints behind Sheogorath were ready to fight and die for their lord. The irate beast person not intimidating them one bit.

Quicker than any of them could see, Scar-Tail slammed a silver short-sword down on the cage binding that held Apoltis prisoner thinking it would free Apoltis. The sword's blade bounced back at him and he looked at it in surprised despair.

Sheogorath smirked asking, "What did you expect, argonian? Did you think you could just free him with little to no effort?"

Scar-Tail looking at Apoltis in the cage with sad eyes, "Look, I will make you a deal, daedra. You let the kid go and you can keep the khajiit."

Apoltis yelled out, "No!" He turned to Sheogorath, "Do not do it!"

Bending down to come face-to-face with Apoltis, Scar-Tail asked sympathetically, "Why? If it gets you out, then why would you sacrifice your life for this cat that you do not even know?"

"But I do. He came for me same as you."

"So what? Care for yourself."

"I cannot. That's not what heroes do."

"Do not be a hero. It does not pay off like you have read. You think I am a knight. At one time I was. I served a kingdom and I never refused an order. The one time I did, I was exiled and marked for death. That's what being a hero can get you. Do not be a hero. Care for yourself because no one else will."

"You do."

"That's why I came for you. I used him to save you. And I will do it again if need be."

"It is not. He came for me same as you. Is that not enough reason?"

Scar-Tail looked back down at the arena at Ra'tarnik. He was standing right at the edge of the open gate looking up at the royal box. His eyes filled with concern. He no longer looked like a khajiit warrior but a concerned family member. He was not as agile though as Scar-Tail so he was unable to make it up the wall like the argonian assassin had. However, he was ready for anything and had a plan in mind if Scar-Tail failed.

Sheogorath looked down at the khajiit then back at Scar-Tail. He snapped his fingers and suddenly Scar-Tail's silver short-swords went flying out of his hands planting themselves right next to Ra'tarnik's feet. Ra'tarnik jumped back a bit from the flying blades looking back up at the box with more concern than before.

Next, Scar-Tail was raised in the air with an unseen pressure wrapped around his throat. He struggled as he was hoisted into the air and floated right out of the box hovering right out over the stunned khajiit. Ra'tarnik yelled up, "Hold on Scar! I am going to try to find a way up there!"

A sly smile came over Sheogorath as he said to himself, "Try as you might khajiit, you try in vain. Come save this brat and I will blood soak your mane!"

Kicking and hissing at the deadra lord, Scar-Tail struggled against the force. He choked and gagged but still had the power to speak. It was about all he could do in protest, "I warn you deadra, I have killed more denizens of Oblivion then you could possibly realize!"

Sheogorath snapping a wicked jeer at Scar-Tail, enclosed his hand into a fist right at the troublesome lizard-man. Scar-Tail choked with his eyes rolling into the back of his head as his windpipe was strangled and he could barely get a breath. Sheogorath said in anger, "Mortal, I am no simple denizen of Oblivion! I am Sheogorath, the lord of madness. With my intellect and chaos I have driven whole civilizations to the brink of self extinction! You dare make threats towards me? This is my arena - my people - my world! I control it all! The Shivering Isles is mine! And everything in it bends to my will! Yet, you still threaten me when you have no chance of wining and I could dissect you just as easily as I could think a thought? You dare?"

Scar-Tail struggled to choke out words but he did with an evil snake-like hiss that even Sheogorath was impressed with, "For him," Scar-Tail said, referring to Apoltis, "I would declare war on the Nine Divine themselves!"

Sheogorath got this big, bright smile on his face and clasped his hands together with excitement, "See, now that is what I call mad! You do me proud, argonian. Not only do you challenge me in my own world but you challenge the Nine as well. That is either pure insanity or pure stupidity. Either way, I am proud and honored to have it in my presence!"

Plummeting down, Scar-Tail landed back in the arena next to Ra'tarnik with the khajiit coming to his aid. Scar-Tail thought about shoving him away but he was more concentrated on the pain he had felt from the fall.

He also did not shove him away because Apoltis had struck a cord with him. He saw Ra'tarnik in a new light. He had come through with him to help Apoltis. Even though he could not stand the khajiit, he did realize that Ra'tarnik did care for the boy. He just hoped that if Ra'tarnik was following Apoltis for the reason he believed, that Apoltis would not be effected by it.

Taking a breath, Scar-Tail stood ready with Ra'tarnik for what was going to come out of the darkness now. They both thought they were ready for what laid beyond the darkness. Killing the biggest beast of Oblivion either of them had seen, they felt amply prepared for their next challenge. They were wrong.

A slight tremor came from the dark archway. Looking at each other, the two wondered if the other had felt it.

Another. This one was more noticeable.

A third. The two warriors actually saw the small particles in the dirt move.

The two gripped their weapons as Ra'tarnik was ready with his war axes while Scar-Tail ripped his two swords from the dirt with skill. Their combat trained eyes locked on the darkness deep in the arena's bowels.

Out of the blackness came a being both faltered at. A Dremora of incredible size and power. It's footsteps making the sand in the pit tremble with every impact of its boot. Most likely a Mehrunz Dagon creation. Close to ten feet tall having two daedric claymores on his back. His gauntlets and boots were made of a mesh of armor and chains crafted with metal teeth attached. Sawing and grinding into the large Dremora's flesh. Moving as easily as blinking an eye and as painfully as barbwire being raked across skin. Across his lower back seemed to be a strange daedric weapon. One neither one of the experienced fighters had ever seen before. A double-headed spear with a tip on each end. The heads of the spear had deep serrations in them so big that they seemingly would tear out at least half their internal organs.

Ra'tarnik could not help but comment, "So, that is Big Red."

Sliding his reptilian eyes over at the khajiit warrior with worry Scar-Tail said, "I can see why they call him that."

Red grabbed both hilts of the two claymores with both hands forcing them from his back. Spinning them like normal swords just as easily and efficiently.

Nearly loosing the grip he had on his war axes, Ra'tarnik eased over to Scar-Tail asking, "Tell me argonian, honestly, have you ever seen anybody wield claymores like that?"

Licking his sharp, lizard-like teeth in contemplation Scar-Tail answered, "A claymore, most assuredly. Claymores? That is a bit - daunting."

The Dremora known as Big Red swung his swords in front of him charging right for the two. He came at them like a raging red bear as the two rolled out of the way of the charging daedra. Winding up on opposite sides of the arena, both of them looked at Big Red with determination in their eyes.

Ra'tarnik and Scar-Tail were both on one knee as the two prepared for another attack from the monster-sized assailant. Big Red swung his armored head Scar-Tail's way and came at the argonian like a runaway bull.

Rolling out of the way, Scar-Tail easily avoid the charging daedra but only for a second. Once Big Red had seen one of his claymores had stabbed nothing but air, he swung the other near Scar-Tail causing the agile argonian to pounce back onto his feet. Faster then light, the two claymore blades sliced right in front of Scar-Tail as Big Red started an all-out assault against his picked opponent.

Circling the two combatants, Ra'tarnik eased his way close to try and get a calculated strike on Big Red. His feet slowly and quietly stepping over each other showing the prowess of the khajiit warrior. His feline eyes watching in awe as Big Red overwhelmed the highly trained Dark Brotherhood killer.

Flipping back twice to avoid the slashes, Scar-Tail knew that he could not keep up all this dodging. He had to land a strike. It was not exhaustion that clawed at him but failure. Three more long slashes missed their mark against the argonian. He looked over and saw Ra'tarnik trying to get into a good position as Big Red came at him with a scissor-like attack. The two blades nearly shaving some scales from his hide.

Scar-Tail was quick with his dodge as now he had a plan. If he could keep up for a little while longer, he could get the beast of a Dremora over to Ra'tarnik and the both of them could go at him. He did not blame Ra'tarnik for not going headlong into the monster while he was distracted on him. It would have been suicide. Scar-Tail did not even know if their combined efforts could bring down the ten foot, giant daedra.

Without warning, he watched a quick maneuver from Big Red that he was too confused by to avoid. Big Red swung his swords and came at the argonian with the bottom of the hilts. Sending the right hilt at Scar-Tail quickly with three misses while a fourth came from the left, sending the left hilt into the side of the skilled argonian's head. Scar-Tail's head bounced off the guarding wall from the force of the impact and he was down on the ground unconscious.

Spinning the large claymore in his left hand, Big Red was about to burry the blade into the body of the lizard man when Ra'tarnik got his attention. He yelled out at Big Red and using one of his war-axes like a scoop, he scooped up a pile of sand in the arena and threw it at Big Red's head.

The sand splashed on the red armor of Big Red and he just slowly looked at Ra'tarnik with one of his claymores still held high. He lowered it slowly with a deep growl that blasted steam or fog from his helmet as Big Red began to stomp towards the khajiit warrior.

Looking around frantically, Ra'tarnik wondered if he should have gotten the beastly daedra's attention at all. He spun his two war axes, saying to himself, "You owe me for this one, lizard."

Big Red brought down one of his claymores right for Ra'tarnik, the big blade slamming into the dirt like a hammer. Even though Ra'tarnik was not as agile as Scar-Tail, he was still skilled in combat and knew how to dodge.

Recovering quickly, he had not a split-second to loose as Big Red slashed at him with both claymores. Bringing them down with Ra'tarnik throwing up his two war axes to block the incoming blades. The large weapons hit the war-axes knocking Ra'tarnik to the ground with force. A small cut went across Ra'tarnik nose as he wiggled it from pain. Blood coming from the wound; a small price to pay for keeping his face.

Apoltis looking on with his fists tight around the bars. Worrying for Ra'tarnik but also worried about Scar-Tail. He was still out and Apoltis could not help but think he might be dead. He gripped the bars of his cage with concern and thought about asking Sheogorath if he was alright. He knew better then that. He would just watch on and pray that Scar-Tail was still okay. "Akatosh, please let him be okay!"

Backing off from the large champion, Ra'tarnik still had blood continuing to ooze from his wound. His cat-like eyes full of rage. He raked his tongue across his face and licked the blood from his gash. It put him in the perfect mind set as that sickly-sweet taste of blood entered his mouth. He licked some more and enjoyed the taste of it. He was getting hungry for blood now.

That did not matter though as Big Red extended his arms out as far as they would go on either side spinning his entire body like a tornado.

Ra'tarnik ran at Big Red while the champion spun a few times with the khajiit brute going under the spinning blades, sending one of his axes right into the side ribs of Big Red. The force was so great though that Ra'tarnik went along for the ride being pulled by the force, sending him off into the dust of the arena near the huge archway.

The champion stopped and came after the infuriated khajiit. Ra'tarnik had not lost his adrenalin as he roared out against the incoming Big Red. He charged at the big Dremora hell-bound to cause some kind of lasting damage. Raising his axes, slamming them down into the cuirass of Big Red, trying to plant them in his chest but all they did was chink off his daedra armor.

Big Red raised one of his claymores over his head and sent it careening down towards Ra'tarnik hoping to slice him in half. Quickly, Ra'tarnik brought up his axes in an X blocking form and the claymore sloppily sliced off of them. It brought the mortal warrior down to one knee as the force was too great. The large blade came down again and again, Ra'tarnik doing his best to block them. His adrenalin was fading away fast. Again, the blade sloppily came off the war axes and Ra'tarnik began breathing heavy being beaten down by the force of the weapon. Three more times the champion slammed his giant sword down on the beaten khajiit until Ra'tarnik was unable to hold his weight dropping down to both knees. The two war axes finally breaking into pieces from the final slam, laying on the ground in dismantled, wooden, steel bits.

On his knees, Ra'tarnik was nearly broken himself. Big Red had not only broken his weapons, his spirit, but had broken him out of his blood rage faster than anybody had ever done in his life. Blood still dripping from his wound on his nose as he lay on the ground a broken man.

Raising his blade one more time, Big Red made a slight grunt right in the khajiit's face. He was going to cut him right in two. Ra'tarnik nearly about to collapse, too exhausted to defended himself anymore.

Just then, a silver blade chinked off of Big Red's armor. Big Red looked down seeing a silver short sword. Looking back up he saw Scar-Tail barely conscious but still in the fight. He swung for the argonian's head but missed as Scar-Tail slung his remaining sword at the armor on Big Red. The silver blade bounced off the armor, landing in the dirt as Ra'tarnik got off his knees and barely got away from the fighting pair.

Scar-Tail backed off from the monster weaponless joining Ra'tarnik, away from Big Red. He looked over at Ra'tarnik and asked, "What happen while I was out?"

Making a gruff sound, Ra'tarnik simply said, "He made short work of my axes."

Barely being able to stand and staring at the beast with a forlorn look to his eyes, Scar-Tail then asked, "You got a plan?"

Ra'tarnik just breathed out a huff of apathy answering, "Nope. You?"

"Not a one."

Big Red spun the claymores in his hands and began stomping towards the two. They watched each foot trample the dirt and shake the ground. Both of them not knowing what to do.

Looking over at the killer argonian, Ra'tarnik said, "You know, the bigger they are the harder they fall."

"What? Is that words of encouragement?"

"Yes. Did they work?"

"No!"

"It sounded better in my head."

"The next time you want to say something your thinking - don't."

Suddenly, one of Big Red's daedric claymores nearly cut one of the men straight in half. Both of them got out of the way just in time. The two of them ending up on either side of the champion. The two warriors looking at each other with shock. Neither one expecting that they would have made it away from the big behemoth.

Looking at both of them, Big Red spun the claymore that had missed and picked a target. He turned towards Ra'tarnik and began to march towards him. All the khajiit fighter could do was run from the giant mega Dremora.

Scar-Tail watched in curiousness as he saw that giant spear still on the lower back of Big Red. Looking at the giant spear now as it was their only salvation.

He began to head towards Big Red, yelling out towards Ra'tarnik, "Keep him busy."

Ra'tarnik rolled away from a claymore strike and back up onto his feet. "Yeah, that will be easy." Sarcasm was Ra'tarnik's only weapon left.

Slipping around like a legged snake, Scar-Tail was going to try and get in behind the big daedra. He began to head for the large beast and suddenly his body slipped out of sight. Scar-Tail had disappeared completely which brought everyone off their feet in the seats around the arena. Even Sheogorath was off his throne. It took him a minute but then he saw the footprints in the dirt heading for his champion. He smiled to himself and sat back down.

Still being unseen, Scar-Tail moved silently with his shadowscale power and hoped that it would last long enough. Reaching up and grabbing the double-headed spear, it came off of the daedra's back rather easily but gravity took hold and he dropped it right to the ground. Big Red had not seen nor heard any of this all the while Ra'tarnik was keeping him busy.

Not seeing Scar-Tail, Ra'tarnik at least saw the spear fall off of Big Red's back and knew now what the slippery assassin was up to. He tried not to be too surprised by it as he still fended off the champion.

Struggling to lift the huge weapon, the invisible Scar-Tail dragged it across the ground as he tried to get the head in front of him up. He raised half the spear but didn't know how he was going to lure the large, red-armored, humanoid over to him.

Pulling as hard as he could, the spear felt like it weighed almost more than a mammoth. Maybe more as Scar-Tail struggled with the large weapon. The spear being more like a harpoon for a small ballista. The other end of the spear dragging across the ground like the tail of a wounded animal.

One of Big Red's claymores hit the dirt like a hammer as Ra'tarnik avoided another shot. The khajiit warrior was in bad shape even though he was well trained through raw experience, his mental state was abysmal and his muscles were burning with pain. He kept going strong but his heart hammered his chest and his arms and legs trembled with exhaustion. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up dodging the monster's vicious and ongoing attacks. Ra'tarnik's breaths were coming out at long gasps and his hair and fur were getting soaked in sweat. His vision was getting blurry with strain as he saw Scar-Tail's form coming back into sight.

The handle of the spear suddenly had scaly hands wrapped around it as Scar-Tail's body was coming back. He looked down and saw his hands forming back and thought to himself, 'Oh-no! Not now, damn it! Not now!'

The spear slipped and nearly hit the ground as the argonian struggled with the large weapon to keep it up at chest level. His muscles flexing and straining against the heft of the long and heavy spear.

A chunk of wall exploded outward as a swipe from the claymore missed Ra'tarnik. Swinging his body away from the long, heavy, red blade, Ra'tarnik nearly tripped on his own two feet in utter fatigue. The twin claymore sliced through the air upwards and this one's point caused some damage ripping a long gash right in Ra'tarnik stomach and chest. His cuirass was split wide open with blood beginning to drip from the cracked metal.

He fell to the ground with the long, red slash bolting upwards, slicing through his ribs and along the side of his left pectoral muscle. His steel armor split like a clamshell. Still attached to his chest but just barely.

He rolled out of the way as the two claymores both came after him in his time of weakness. He got back up to his feet as now he had a gash on his nose and a large slash down his mid-body. Blood beginning to leak out of the cracked armor dripping onto the ground as Big Red smelled blood.

He swung the large claymores in front of him after Ra'tarnik. Ra'tarnik looking over seeing that Scar-Tail's body was now fully visible and made a sigh of distress as he looked back at the spinning blades of doom. There was nowhere to run. He was tired and out of breath wondering if fighting anymore was even an option. He could keep running and he hated that he had no options left. He was sick of running. He wanted to start fighting back.

He scooped up some sand from the arena ground and threw it at the Dremora but the sand was mostly whipped away from the giant daedra's claymore blades. Ra'tarnik just made a sound of disgust not being able to fight back. He looked over again at Scar-Tail and wondered if he was ever going to get that spear to a useful position or even use it. He looked back at Big Red. This was it for him. He didn't want to accept it but the fight was over. He couldn't get away. He wanted to go out fight though. Throwing more sand, it just got flung away from the gigantic, armored warrior. He wished he could find a rock or something. Something that would at least make a dent, a scratch, maybe cause a ripple of effect to the large, seemingly indestructible tyrant.

Another look over at Scar-Tail to see if the argonian had made progress and that was when he saw that all of his head turning had now attracted the attention of Big Red. The champion stopped spinning his claymores and looked over at Scar-Tail. A blast of steam came from his helmet in rage. Now knowing the slippery assassin had stolen his spear and it made him aggravated.

Ra'tarnik closed his eyes in defeat now knowing his mistake. He had focused too much on what his reluctant partner was doing that the enemy now knew as well. He was more disappointed in himself than anything. He had not fought with a companion in a long time. For more then a couple of years. Most of what he had learned had gone away and now him and Scar-Tail were going to pay for it.

Nearly dropping the heavy weapon, Scar-Tail was bent over lifting the weapon, watching Big Red coming his way. He let out a sigh as he struggled to lift the weapon. He just wasn't strong enough. He was not going to give up though. For Apoltis, he would rip his own arms off for the boy. Struggling with all of his might and grinding his small, sharp teeth together, he pulled at the spear.

Hating the weapon, trying to get the head of the spear to chest height. Struggling, torturing himself. The pain in his arms was nauseating. The pain in his calves ran though his legs like venom from a snake bite. His chest burned with the air he was sucking in to get enough strength just to raise the spear up and plant it deep in Big Red's armor.

Apoltis looked at the two as he watched the giant monster stomp towards his savior from the inn. He looked over at Ra'tarnik and tried to stretch his arm through the bars of the cage to get his attention. He then yelled out, "Ra'tarnik?"

Turning his head upwards, his ears pricked towards Apoltis. Hearing him better then any normal human would have.

Apoltis had even gained Scar-Tail's attention but Scar-Tail was so focused on lifting the spear that he hadn't heard what Apoltis was yelling about. All he knew was that it gave him an eternal strength. He got the spear to chest height and a bit beyond as he actually now yelled out against the spear. It was a loud hiss that made him sound like an angered Gila monster.

Apoltis then began to yell at Ra'tarnik, "Please, help him! Don't let him die! Knights do not do that!"

A bit thrown off by the knight part, Ra'tarnik saw the kid and saw the tears beginning to accumulate in his eyes. He looked back down at Scar-Tail who looked ready and willing to shove the spear right through the chest plate of Big Red but his body was not. He could not even get the weapon to stay at chest height let along plunge the thing deep into the body of the large-sized daedra.

Faster than any arrow, Ra'tarnik took off like a bolt of lightning right for Scar-Tail.

Big Red's feet stomped into the ground sending out small plumes of dust under his massive weight and size. Like a siege machine, he came at the struggling argonian, slow but unstoppable.

Ra'tarnik ran right past Big Red as the colossal-sized Dremora was getting ready to deliver the final blow.

Reptilian claws dug into the shaft as Scar-Tail found some kind of deep, hidden strength to keep the spear at chest height. He struggled now to move the weapon but it barely budged in the dirt as the backend of the spear dragged in the dust. It left a small trail as Scar-Tail felt the small tremors in the ground as Big Red marched closer to him.

His keen, red eyes glaring at the monster-sized daedra as its feet struck closer in the ground to him. Big Red soon towered over him as Scar-Tail looked up at the giant of the arena and hissed what he believed to be his last hiss. Then, saying in his argonian, snake-like voice; darker and more ferocious then he had ever heard it from himself before, "Kill me and kill the cat but you will not kill the boy! You will not kill the boy! You hear me you big, ugly, red, afterbirth of a diseased troll!"

Lowering his head to the exhausted argonian, a blast of white mist came right from his helm and into Scar-Tail's face. Three more from him in anger at the insult. Lifting one of his claymore's high in the air over his head, a furious blast of steam came from his helmet as he was ready to bring the sword downward and enjoy the small, mortal's death.

All of a sudden, Scar-Tail felt the other side of the spear lift up and a tremendous weight had been lifted off of his muscles. He was still struggling with the spear but not near as much. He looked back and saw Ra'tarnik with both of his arms lifting the spear like a gigantic log. The backend was over his head and he barely yelled at Scar-Tail with all his muscles working overtime, "Damn it, you idiot lizard, what in Oblivion are you waiting for?"

Scar-Tail swung his head back at Big Red as his claymore was still high above his head. Scar-Tail yelling out with all his might ran right for Big Red with Ra'tarnik letting out a loud, belting roar as the two warriors drove the spear right into the chest plate of the big daedra.

The spear plunging into the anatomy of Big Red as the tip of the spear broke through the daedric armor easily. A loud, mechanical-like growl coming from the daedra as he dropped both claymores to the ground and grasped at the shaft of the spear.

The claymores dropped into the dirt with force like fallen towers from a demolished castle. Small plumes of sand encircled the disregarded weapons signaling Big Red's inevitable end.

Only the head of the spear was in him and Scar-Tail was not sated with that. He hissed out with pure adrenalin being in a blood rage as he struggled to drive the spear straight through the daedra. Ra'tarnik in the back roaring as he drove from the back.

Small sounds of flesh being sliced and eviscerated came from Big Red as black blood began to spray from his helm as the spear progressively made its way through his chest. Driving outward, the spear's head blasted out of his back and bits of his innards came out strung along the serrated teeth. Some of the shaft also came out covered in the daedra's anatomy.

Big Red gripping the shaft, spraying black blood all over the ground like a broken fountain with his chains on his gauntlets raking at the spear's shaft doing little to stop the two from driving the spear right through him.

He made one last howl of mechanized horror as he fell to his knees with the large weapon straight through him. Black blood spraying from his body in several different place, his life ebbing away from him. His armor making a loud rattle that echoed throughout the arena as everyone was out of their seat.

Sheogorath was not. He had a strange smile on his face as he received a clear goblet of red liquid from one of his dark seducers and drank it all up. Still with that sly smile.

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both let go of the spear in exhaustion and both rolled over to the wall and watched the last death rattle of Big Red. A long spray of black blood came from his helmet as Big Red fell sideways onto the ground and lived no more. A steady pool of black liquid came from him as he lay dead and gone. His carcass a useless piece of meat covered in tough armor.

A group of golden saints and dark seducers came from the bowels of the arena and carried his dead body out of the arena. It took fifteen of them to carry him off. Almost as many that carried out the ten-legged spider daedra.

Breathing heavily and sitting against the wall, Ra'tarnik slowly turned his head and asked Scar-Tail, "Holy Stenndar, how did you lift that thing for so long?"

Doing the same, Scar-Tail just made a few quick pants and answered, "He was not going to hurt Apoltis. I told him that." Getting to his feet he put his hands on his hips. His tail swung loosely as though it was going to fall off but he walked up under the booth and pointed up at Sheogorath saying, "Alright you maddened little subvert, we beat your champion. I want my damn prize, now!"

Ra'tarnik got to his feet to support Scar-Tail, "Yeah Sheogorath, we played your stupid game. I think the boy is coming with us."

Slyly looking at the kid in the cage, Sheogorath looked at the two tired warriors and stood up from his chair. He then suddenly appeared in the arena grounds and both Ra'tarnik and Scar-Tail were thrown off by it. The two were ready for anything. Anything except a fight with the daedra lord of madness himself!

Sheogorath walked around them like a challenging opponent. Eyeing them over he said "And now, for my greatest trick!" Raising his hands above his head in a glamorous pose.

Nodding his head, Scar-Tail angrily said, "Alright, if that's what you want." He grabbed both his silver short swords tiredly and sloppily out of the dust he left them in, going right at the prince of madness.

Cocking his head in curiosity, Sheogorath raised his hand and Scar-Tail was lifted right into the air. He was sent right into the wall with a flick of Sheogorath's wrist.

Ra'tarnik watched Scar-Tail fly into the wall turning his eyes slowly looking back at the daedra lord with fear. He had no weapons, no strength, no hope.

Gripping at the bars of his cage like a sad baby in its crib, Apoltis's eyes filled with tears as he watched his friend get hurtled into a wall. He cried out, "Scar! No!"

Sheogorath stretched his head back looking towards Apoltis with a sadistic twinkle in his eyes.

Getting up with as much effort as he could muster, Scar-Tail coughed up a bit of blood from his mouth and then looked at the daedra lord. He gripped his swords with fury and struggled to his feet. He began to walk in Sheogorath's direction and on weak legs asked cockily, "Yeah and what was that suppose to do?"

Nodding his head in slight respect, Sheogorath raised his hand and then point right at Scar-Tail's swords.

The highly trained assassin looked down at his weapons and saw hundreds of spiders crawling all over the blades with them all trying to travel up his scaly arm. He dropped the weapons instantly going for a dagger hideen in his armor somewhere, he hoped.

Not finding one he looked back at his two swords. Clear. Not one spider on it. Scar-Tail bent down and picked them up cautiously and looked at them with curiousness. With both weapons in his weak hands, Scar-Tail said to Sheogorath, "Laugh it up."

A wicked smile crossed Sheogorath's face but he did not laugh. There was nothing to laugh about. He was too impressed with the mortals. Though he dare not show it. They had played his game and had won. They had done what no other fighter he had found could ever do. Still, it did not mean he could not have a bit of fun with the curious fighters though.

Still with that smile, he raised one hand and a purple, swirling vortex appeared about ten feet behind the two combatants. The two looked at it tired and exhausted. Looking back at Sheogorath, Scar-Tail was the first to say, "We are not leaving without the boy."

Ra'tarnik let out a loud breath of fatigue and said, "Release him Sheogorath."

Sheogorath raised his head in cocky showmanship and snapped his fingers. The cage Apoltis was in snapped open and the boy hovered down to the arena ground in front of the tired fighters. He was safe and not harmed in anyway.

Scar-Tail dropped to his knees as Apoltis ran at him. They both embraced in a tight hug and Scar-Tail breathed a sigh of relieve for the boy to be back with him.

With his head against Scar-Tail's chest, Apoltis looked up at Scar-Tail and said, "I knew you could do it!"

With both arms still locked around Apoltis, Scar-Tail said, "Let's get you back to Tameriel."

Apoltis let go of Scar-Tail and looked over at Ra'tarnik. With that big gash in his chest, along his abdomen, not to mention the large wound on his nose, Ra'tarnik asked with a pat on Apoltis shoulder, "You okay Apoltis?"

The boy quickly wrapped his arms around the khajiit answering, "I am now."

Ra'tarnik patted him on the back saying with a bit of pain from the boy hugging him, "We are going to take you home."

Releasing the embrace, Apoltis looked up at Ra'tarnik, "You need help. You are hurt!"

Ra'tarnik looked at himself saying, "Ah, nothing I have not had before."

Scar-Tail struggled to get to his feet, "Yeah, he's tougher then he looks. Is that not right, paper tiger?"

Ra'tarnik flashed him an evil glair but slightly smiled at the argonian. He still did not like him.

Rolling his eyes, Sheogorath said, "You know, all I wanted was for you two to beat Big Red?"

All three of the compatriots looked at Sheogorath disbelievingly.

"It's true! Big Red was a big killer sent here to bring order to my realm from Mehrunes Dagon. He does not like my realm too much. I grant you that…"

"I do not care!" Scar-Tail interrupted. He grabbed Apoltis's hand and began to walk towards the vortex. His walk was slightly crippled but he kept his composure, walking out like an accomplished veteran of a hard fought battle.

Following behind them, Ra'tarnik turned around and said to Sheogorath, "Oh and leave Border Watch alone or I will be back."

"No, you won't. Somebody else will though and they will claim my throne. So long Ra'tarnik, I will miss the fun games we use to play."

Snarling, Ra'tarnik turned back around, walking right out with the other two through the swirling vortex. Neither one of them knowing where the vortex went.

When they were through, Sheogorath snapped his fingers and the vortex disappeared. He then clasped his hands together with a big grin and looked around the arena. "Alright, who's up for a game of Arena Round-Up?"

The entire arena's audience quickly got up from their seats and ran out of the arena. Leaving their seats empty and some of their weapons behind. In short of five minutes there was not one person left in the stadium and Sheogorath was left there - all alone.

He lowered his head in disappointment and apathetically said, "You win."


	9. Watch Your Back

The three tumbled out of the purple, swirling vortex and Scar-Tail, as usual, had a death grip on Apoltis. Ra'Tarnik tumbled next to the two and stood up brushing himself off. Scar-Tail stood up as well releasing his grip a bit from Apoltis. The kid coughing a bit from the dirt in his mouth, looking at the two. He took a long breath asking the both of them, "Are you okay?"

Both were alright not having to say anything to verify that. Ra'tarnik patted Apoltis on the back and said, "Let's get out of here."

"That sounds like a great idea!"

Scar-Tail hissing with disgust questioned, "Yeah, brilliant plan. Except have you forgotten the two outside?"

"Oh yeah, I guess I did. I do not even have my axes anymore."

All three of them heard a strange noise near the front of the cave. They started walking towards the entrance to investigate with Apoltis being the first one to reach the entrance. Scar-Tail, slightly ahead of Ra'tarnik, had to ask, "Alright, so how did you manage to make it into this cave?"

"What? You mean earlier?" Ra'tarnik asked.

"Yes."

"Came in right through the front door."

Before Scar-Tail could ask how on Nirn he had done that, Apoltis was already at the front looking out into the early evening day. Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik weren't too far behind as they too saw outside into the forest with no Xiviali in sight.

Something was wrong though. Apoltis felt it in his gut. It left a bad taste in his mouth like the taste of blood. He soon took off with Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik right behind him. They caught up quite easily with the rushing boy and Scar-Tail was the first to ask, "What's wrong?"

"Border Watch! Something is wrong!"

Ra'tarnik then asked, "What?"

"I don't know!" Apoltis didn't have an answer.

The sun was below the trees as the evening light turned the entire forest a golden color. As he rushed on by, the trees and grass looked a bit like emerald and golden jewels rushing by him. The two veteran warriors behind him trailing him at incredible speed. The three of them running through the forest as Apoltis took a hard turn onto the main road nearly sliding to a fall. The two beast fighters swiftly coming right out of the forest after him nearly sprinting to keep up with the speeding child. Scar-Tail now had a better idea how Apoltis avoided the daedra on his case back at The Inn Of Ill Omen.

Apoltis went rushing into Border Watch and could already see the smoke pluming up from the small village. Scar-Tail had tried to stop Apoltis from rushing in but it was already too late as the two warriors stopped briefly to survey the carnage. Some houses had been burnt and there were at least three scattered dead khajiits. Both of them could tell they had tried to fight back against whatever had happened but they were no match for whatever it was. Even the Inn was lightly scattered with fresh battle scars.

Scar-Tail was the first to see hoof prints in the dirt. A lot of them. He bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt and let it flow from his scaly hand. He saw the difference in the grains and brushed off his hand. He stood up saying, "Two parties were through here. The first came through about twelve hours ago. It would have been dark by then. The next were more heavily armed and probably left four hours ago."

Doubting eyes stared at Scar-Tail as Ra'tarnik asked, "You can tell all that from just hoof prints in the dirt?"

Licking his teeth with annoyance Scar-Tail said, "I am very well trained."

"I'll just bet you are."

Scar-Tail had hardly taken his eyes off of Apoltis who had ran up to one of the smoldering, wooden houses. There, he had bent down on both knees as the elderly shaman kahjiit was there on the ground with her head being held by her much younger male apprentice. He was petting her head as her fur was matted with mud-thick blood. The younger apprentice had done everything he could with herbal medicine but it was not enough. She was too old and her body was not accepting the medication. He had cast a novice healing spell as well but the only thing it seemed to be helping with was some of her pain and breathing.

Shaken by the carnage and remembering back to Hackdirt, Apoltis slowly lifted the old shaman's hand up in his and clasped it in both gently. He held the old, wrinkled, slightly blood-stained paw to his cheek in mourning for the old khajiit.

She barely had her eyes open as she saw the young boy holding her paw, smiling, saying, "They were looking for you but we told them nothing. All of us held are tongues, angel."

By that time, Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik had come close with Ra'tranik bending down to hear the woman better while Scar-Tail stood over Apoltis.

Ra'tarnik leaned in and asked, "Who?"

Barely able to turn her head, the shaman said to Ra'tarnik, "The first were vampires." She coughed a bit with a raspy sound exiting her lips. She was not long off from death. "We held them off with ease. They had no chance."

Her younger, male apprentice took over, "But then came the others. The daedra!"

She rose one trembling hand up to her protégé and said, "Oh yes! We tried with everything we had to beat them back. They had that imperial man with them! He conjured some of them right out of thin air! Others came on horseback. They did all this -" She said, weakly sweeping her raised hand across the whole of Border Watch. "He threw fireballs with the expertise of a master mage. Daedroth, Clannfears, wolves," She began coughing again.

The soon to-be new shaman took over, "He even had a shield he conjured up made of all kinds of magical conjured weapons."

Scar-Tail's harden skilled eyes scanned Border Watch seeing if there was a familiar he left behind to spy on them. He was also trying to sense the vampires but none of them were around. What his eyes did pick-up on was some movement just behind where he was standing with Apoltis. His eyes thinned and his tail slowly swayed with inquiry at the movement. There was something reminiscent about it. As if he had seen that exact movement before. In all its skill and shiftiness.

The shaman woman continued on, "My people. I thought they were cowards for not going with you to the cave but you," She said, pointing at Apoltis, "You gave them courage. They would rather die to protect some small boy they had never seen then save their own skins. To loose this town they created with their own hands. Oh Nine forgive me for thinking - thinking they…" Her coughing became hard and nasty. She put her hand up to her mouth and both her apprentice and Apoltis looked at each other with sadness.

Then, she let out one gasp of air and her body went limp. Her hand weakly raised up to Apoltis's cheek and with her final breath of air she said to him, "Thank you." The paw at Apoltis's cheek suddenly dropped to the ground and a final sigh of air exited her body and her eyes closed. Her body was limp and lifeless.

The young, khajiit protégé let go of her head and it flimsily fell on the ground. She was dead and her protégé was no longer an apprentice. He was now the new shaman.

He stood up with Apoltis softly weeping at her side. The new shaman took up her staff that was lying against the wooden house and he said to her, "Rest comes to you now. I will burry you where you wanted."

Ra'tarnik with hurt in his eyes stood up and took an inhale of air. He asked, "Where is that?"

The new Border Watch shaman turned his head and said, "She only told me and did not want anyone one else to know. I can tell you that it was somewhere in Elsewyer."

Ra'tarnik nodded, understanding. He looked over at Apoltis and walked over to him with Scar-Tail still locked on the forest behind all of them.

With his one hand, Ra'tarnik put his hand on Apoltis's shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

The boy looked up at the cat man and said, "No. It reminds me of when my mother died."

This got Scar-Tail's attention. He bent down alongside Apoltis and took his shoulders in his hands. He didn't know what to say to the teary eyed child and it took him a minute to come up with the words, "Apoltis - Death is a part of life. Whether they go to some other, better place or whether they sort of just float away; its not important about who they were but what they did. What they did for you."

Apoltis just said, "No. That's selfish."

Letting out a defeated exhale, Scar-Tail desperately tried to think of something else to say but Ra'tarnik beat him to the punch.

"You probably miss her a lot, don't you?" Ra'tarnik asked.

"My mom?" Apoltis asked back.

"Yeah."

"yes. I do."

"Well I am sure that your mother and her," Ra'tarnik said motioning to the deceased shaman woman, "Are very proud of you right now. She said so herself before passing on, did she not? So really, you gave as much to them as they wanted to give to you."

Apoltis sniffled a little bit and said, "But there still dead."

Scar-Tail chimed in with, "But - they will always be with you." He said, not sure if that bit would work or not. He had heard it at a funeral a long time ago.

Looking up at him with a little hope sparked in his eyes, Apoltis with a little cheer asked, "You really think so?"

Scar-Tail could only fake a half-smile and say, "I know so."

A strong wind came from behind Scar-Tail that drew his attention. He turned around with his hands still on the young boy's shoulders and looked out to the forest. He saw more movement in the trees as the sun's last beams of light slowly cascaded away from Nirn. The sky now growing that deep purple overshadowed by hues of blue.

Ra'tarnik joined him by his side looking out to the forest as well. He did not see anything that Scar-Tail had seen. Leaning into the argonian, asking, "What is it?"

"Something." Scar-Tail's eyes not once moving away from the trees that he saw the movement near. "Something familiar."

"Vampires?"

"No. Something more dangerous."

Both warriors scanned the forest with harden eyes but Ra'tarnik saw nothing. He did not have to though. Scar-Tail knew it was there. Something from his past. An evil that had not fully developed yet. A lurking monster that may be deadlier than any daedra that hunted the boy. Not just a danger to him either but to the whole of Tamirel.

Scar-Tail turned back towards Apoltis and thought about the vampires. He had to figure on a safe place to go. Someplace where they would never follow them into at least for awhile. Looking back at Apoltis he directed, "We need to get to Skingrad."

Ra'tarnik just gave him a puzzling look, "Why on Nirn do we need to go there?"

"Vampires are forbidden in that city."

Now Apoltis was curious, "Why is that, uncle?"

Scar-Tail took a look at Ra'tarnik and then bent down to whisper in Apoltis's ear, "Because there are already too many."

With shock in his eyes, Apoltis whispered in Scar-Tail's ear, "That means they will be welcomed, does it not?"

With another cautious look at Ra'tarnik, Scar-Tail lead the boy away from the interested khajiits. As he did so, he looked back at the passed-on shaman woman asking, "Do you not think you should prepare her for burial?"

Ra'tarnik growled a bit with irritation but the new, young shaman asked, "Ra'tarnik, will you give me a hand?"

Not taking his eyes off of the dark-cloaked argonian and the small boy, Ra'tarnik answered, "Sure." He bent down and got her feet while the new shaman got her head. Ra'tarnik grumbled a bit from his wounds but he struggled through them.

With both of them carrying the dead khajiit woman to a more dignified resting place until she could be transported to Elsewyer, the young shaman saw the wounds on Ra'tarnik asking, "those cuts look mean."

"I shall live." He snapped back still taking cautious glances over at the boy and the shifty reptilian.

Scar-Tail waited for them to be busy with her before continuing his talk with Apoltis. "The khajiit…"

"Ra'tarnik?"

"Whatever - he must not know that there are vampires in Skingrad."

"They will not hurt us, will they?"

"They will not hurt you. I promise you that! The ones that hunt us are wild and murderous. They will not be welcomed. Especially by the count. If they know what is good for them, they will stay away from Skingrad."

"The count must not like vampires?"

Nodding his head in extreme agreement, Scar-Tail said, "You have no idea. It is probably the safest city from vampires."

"Okay. How far is it?"

"It is quite the distance. We will stay in Border Watch for the night. Then, in the morning, we will head northwest, towards the Gold Coast."

Ra'tarnik came up to the both of them and asked, "So, what is all this secrecy about, may I ask?" Talking more to Apoltis then Scar-Tail.

Apoltis got slightly excited and said, "We are going to Skingrad!"

"So far westward, why?"

Apoltis just kind of looked down at the ground. Trying not to lie to Ratarnik but also not tell him why.

Scar-Tail took up that charge. "I have friends in Skingrad. We will be safe there."

"What kind of friends?"

"Ones that would not appreciate your company."

"So, I take it this is goodbye?"

Apoltis quickly went over to Ra'tarnik's side and grabbed his hand. "No! Come with us."

Scar-Tail snarled at Apoltis. "He is not coming with us!"

Ra'tarnik then made a point that even Scar-Tail could not argue. "You cannot protect the boy by yourself. You will need an extra-skilled fighter by your side. Besides," He said looking down at Apoltis, "I have a promise to keep."

As much as he wanted to, Scar-Tail couldn't argue his point. He had seen the khajiit in battle. He was damn good. Better than most Dark Brotherhood he had seen. Scar-Tail took Apoltis away from Ra'tarnik. He put his index finger right on the khajiit's chest saying to him, "If I get one notion, one iota, of you trying to kill me or the boy I will skin you alive and use your fur as a stall mat!"

Ra'tarnik growled a bit and said in retort, "same goes for you. Scales are little rough on my fur though. I'd much rather prefer you as a pair of boots. That way every time I take a step, the remains of your carcass can kiss the ground I walk on!"

Apoltis got in between the steaming warriors and said, "Okay! Then it is settled." Looking up at Scar-Tail pleading, "Right? Ra'tarnik can come with us?"

Setting his sights on the boy, Scar-Tail then looked back at Ra'tarnik, "As long as he stays out of my way!" Harshly turning away, walking back up to the Border Watch Inn, he ripped a daedra arrow right from the door panel and broke it in half with rage.

Ra'tarnik sneered at him as he looked down at Apoltis saying, "Apoltis, be careful around him. I know he is your uncle but just watch your back."

Having this innocent, sorrowful look come over his face, looking at Ra'tarnik with those sad eyes, Apoltis mournfully said "I don't think I am the one he wants dead."

Agreeing, Ra'tarnik watched the boy go into the inn while he found the shaman. He went up to him and asked, "Do you have any weapons? Enchanted ones?"

"I do!" He said enthusiastically. He led Ra'tarnik into the cabin that him and the previous shaman use to live in.

Entering, Ra'tarnik had to duck a bit from a bunch of growing Deathbell. He looked over the small cabin and it was quite cramped inside. To his left was a filled bookshelf. Most of the books were on alchemy and restoration. In front of that was a small table with a few alchemical instruments and a bowl with a mixture of things. Whatever the mixture was, it didn't smell good, that Ra'tarnik was sure of. To his right was another small room with a bed and a broom next to it. In front of him was a straw bed matting and there was the new shaman in front of an extravagant display case.

Ra'tarnik approached cautiously and as soon as he moved, the shaman began talking, "When she was young, she knew a great enchanter. He lived in Morrowind. Before passing on, he gave her a gift. One that she never knew what to do with and why she did not give it to you or anybody I have no idea. Maybe she thought it was too powerful to be wielded by anybody. But anybody who protects that boy is going to need some protection. You did not see what great power the daeda and that wizard wielded. I did. You will need all the help you can get Ra'tarnik."

Close enough now, Ra'tarnik could see what was inside the long, elaborate case. It seemed to be a glass halberd except it had two heads on it like a battle-ax with a long, spear-like blade between the two heads. Ra'tarnik couldn't help but get a sadistic smile across his face. He didn't like to use two-handed weapons but he could when the need arose - and the need had certainty arisen.

"She told me, that no weapon like this existed in all the nine providences. It was made by a skilled smith and enchanted by her mentor. Although she never went into enchantment herself and was more into alchemy, she kept it because it was such a powerful weapon."

Ra'tarnik's eyes were bedazzled by the weapon. "What's the enchantment?"

"According to her it has the blood of a daedra lord on it. It is specifically designed to kill daedra. It takes their souls and powers itself with them, making the weapon a veritable self-powering, soul stealer. As you know, all weapons' enchantments are powered by souls in soul gems. But this - this powers itself with every daedra soul it steals."

Putting his hand on the glass, Ra'tarnik said, "What is its name?"

The shaman took a key out of his pocket and opened the case. He could barely hefted the weapon with both hands but he managed to present it to Ra'tarnik and said, "Gluttony."

Ra'tarnik easily wielded the weapon in one hand taking it from the shaman. He put the end of the weapon down on the ground and stared at the two blades of the ax along with the long spear blade atop. He then uttered out, looking at the weapon with pride, "Gluttony. Seems appropriate somehow."

He put the weapon on his back and could not thank the shaman enough. He went to exit the cabin but the shaman stopped him. He put one hand on Ra'tarnik's shoulder and said, "Those wounds need healed."

Looking down, Ra'tarnik agreed. The shaman walked into the bedroom and removed a few bottles from a chest. He then motion Ra'tarnik into the bedroom and said, "Lay on the bed and I will…"

Ra'tarnik stopped him and took the bottles. "I know what needs to be done with these. I know somebody else who I would rather have these wounds treated by."

"They require a smooth touch and…"

"And I know just the person."

He exited the cabin and the dark of night blanketed the land. He fixed his right, imperial steel gauntlet and walked with the weapon on his back. The bottles still in hand, he struggled with the weight of the weapon. It had been a long time since he had had a two-handed weapon equipped. He would get use to it.

Walking past the Border Watch Inn, Ra'tarnik was still fiddling with his right gauntlet. He hoped to see Apoltis in the morning. Even if it did mean dealing with his annoying as all Oblivion uncle.

He walked over to a cabin that seemed untouched by the attacks and he was thankful for that. He knocked on the door fumbling with the bottles in his hands. The door was opened by a young, female khajiit. She was dressed in nothing but a long, white nightgown that accentuated her bodily features. Ra'tarnik gave her a sheepish grin and said, "Sorry about the wood earlier. I would have gotten it to you but…"

She put one clawed finger on his lips shushing him.

He motioned with the bottles in hand, "Mind giving me a hand?"

She directed him right into her cabin and with that sheepish grin, he entered her cabin with the door closing behind them.

* * *

**(A/N: I'm glad everyone has been enjoying the story so far. It really is a joy to write. I cannot stress enough for reviews and I'm glad so many of you have taken the time to review. Thanks to all of you and I hope the story continues to hold your attention until the final chapter and beyond! Not to just those who review either. I know some readers are a bit shy about reviewing and that's more than okay. You still show your support just by reading and/or making it a favorite. Thanks for that as well!)**


	10. Enemies Of Cyrodiil

Early morning had broken and Apoltis awoke with Scar-Tail sitting by his side. Apoltis rubbed one of his eyes with sleepiness asking, "Have you been there all night?"

Rubbing his hands together, Scar-Tail hissed reluctantly, "No. I just came in about an hour ago. Bad dreams."

"What kind?" Apoltis voice filled with curiosity.

Scar-Tail was a bit distraught by Apoltis not showing apprehension in asking, "Nothing you should know about." He got up from the chair quickly and said, "We should get going if we are going to make it to Skingrad by dusk."

Jumping off the bed with excitement, Apoltis put back on his cloak with the stone still in his pocket. "I have never been to Skingrad before!"

Opening the door for the boy, Scar-Tail said to Apoltis as he bounded out of his room excited, "Don't get too excited. You may not like what you see."

"Why is that?" the imperial boy asked heading out of the front door. He had seen, while passing by the front the desk, that the nice female khajiit was still alive. She didn't have the same friendly attitude that she had had yesterday but she still had a faint smile pass over her face as she saw the small boy.

Both Scar-Tail and Apoltis exited the inn as Scar said, "It's not the friendliest city in Cyrodiil." Making another comment about the vampire infested city of Skingrad.

Outside, Ra'tarnik came from out of one of the cabins. He was accompanied by a young, female khajiit. It was the girl he had carried wood for yesterday. He had given her a kiss before leaving and greeted Apoltis with a pat on the back. Apoltis about fell over with the impact of his friend's hand. He still had a wide smile cross his face as Ra'tarnik realized how hard he had hit Apoltis's back. He tried to reserve his strength but even with a light pat, he was still too strong for the kid.

Apoltis looked at the female khajiit as she went back inside the cabin with a bit of trouble walking. He could not understand why. He asked Ra'tarnik, "Who was that?"

"Oh, just a friend - a very good friend."

Apoltis might have not understood the underlying meaning but Scar-Tail sure did.

"Why was she walking funny? Was she hurt yesterday?" Apoltis asked.

Ra'tarnik had a big, wide, vain smile cross his face saying, "Oh-no. She just likes to ride."

"Horses?" The naiveté in Apoltis's voice ever-present.

Ra'tatrnik's smile getting bigger even though he thought to himself that was impossible. "I will tell you when you are older."

Not being able to take it anymore, Scar-Tail finally chimed in, "Let's hope you can ride a horse just as hard."

"What?" Ra'tarnik asked, not understanding why they had to ride horses.

Scar-Tail was already at the coral which was in shambles from the attack yesterday. He looked around for his black mare and couldn't find her. He then took a couple of step and yelled out, "Sanguine?"

Suddenly, from out of the forest beyond, came the big, black mare. It raced right for her master stopping on a dime right in front of Scar-Tail. He gently brushed her nose and hefted Apoltis onto her back. He got himself onto his horse holding her reigns with confidence. He looked at Ra'tarnik who was looking around town, "Seems as though you are without a horse. Guess you will have to try and keep up on foot." He cracked the reins and the black mare took of like a shot.

Ra'tarnik had a half-cocked smile glide across his face. "We shall see about that."

Scar-Tail was already out of Border Watch and racing down the Green Road northwards. Apoltis was slightly worried about Ra'tarnik. "He can keep up, can't he?"

"Of course." Scar-Tail said slyly.

Galloping at a faster pace than most horses in the providence, the black mare took them all the way back to the Inn Of Ill Omen. Scar-Tail stopped the horse outside of the Inn looking around. He didn't spot any sentries watching out for them. That was until a seemingly weak daedra popped around the corner. Scar-Tail took off like a black lighting bolt and never looked back.

The two came across Bravil and they were soon stopped by the imperial guards just a little ways from the gate. Scar-Tail had not expected this. He figured he could just easily slip by but something was going on. Something that seemed to have Bravil in an uproar.

The black horse was a bit eager to get going again but Scar-Tail calmed her down. He looked down at the imperial guard walking his way with two more heading his way on horseback. Both of them heavily armed clanking about with their steel-heavy armor. The first on horseback had a set of silver arrows that was more than enough to handle anything the woods could throw at him with an impressive bow to match. The second had a standard silver sword that most guards had. The one closest to Scar-Tail on foot had one too.

The one on foot walked around to the side of the horse saying in his commanding and regal voice, "What is your business in these parts, argonian?"

Scar-Tail hissed very silently as he saw out of the corner of his eyes the two guards on horseback getting their weapons ready. He said with that predominant hiss of his, "Passing through. We are off to Skingrad."

"We?" The imperial said looking at the imperial kid on the back of the horse. Scar-Tail watched with cautious eyes as the guard stepped closer to Apoltis.

The guard asked Apoltis, "What are you doing with the argonian, child?"

Apoltis bit his bottom lip saying half-heartedly, "Going to Skingrad, sir."

The guard circled around to the other side of the horse with the two other guards coming up just about five feet from the black mare. She huffed in disapproval of the other two horses getting that close to her. The guards' eyes hiding secret intentions. Scar-Tail was wondering if it was his black armor that gave him away.

Looking across the bridge, near the front entrance of Bravil, Scar-Tail saw three dead bodies on the cobblestone road. He saw a dead wood-elf male, a dead, young imperial girl, and a dead breton woman along with a well-pillaged trade wagon. In that small amount of time, Scar-Tail already had the events reoccurring in his head nearly just as it had happened. Scar-Tail finally asked after awhile, "Seems you have quite the problem here."

The guard finally broke his gaze from the skilled, lizard man and breathed out a subtle, dark-toned, "Yeah."

"What do you think happened?" Scar-Tail almost knowing exactly what happened.

The guard tilted his helmet a bit saying, "Goblins. Attacked the trade caravan last night. Nothing to worry about, citizen. We have it under control."

Scar-Tail looked at the guards in front of him as they made a narrow path for him to go through. Slowly he started to trot his horse away from Bravil saying as he left, "I hope you get them."

The guard on foot gave them a stiffened wave goodbye as Scar-Tail increased the trot of his horse till he was at a full riding gallop.

Apoltis held on a bit as he asked, "You don't think it was goblins, do you?"

Scar-Tail dared not to take his eyes off the road. "Not unless it was one berserker and did not have blood thirst. Which is about as likely as a mud-crab killing me in daedric armor."

"What do you mean?"

"No way on Nirn was it goblins. Whatever did that, was not a raging beast. It was a skilled animal. It was a person. A very short person."

"What, like a male bosmer?"

"Maybe. I doubt it though. Bosmers are woodland fare-folk. They are a very peaceful people. This thing, whatever it was, would have had to been born to kill."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the cuts and stabs on the bodies were skilled. Not taught skilled either. Experience skilled. It has killed before and found out what works. It really likes it as well."

"You can tell all that from just those three dead people?"

"I can tell a lot more than that. The male bosmer was first. The killer came up behind him and slit his throat. Jagged, hastily, but effectively. The next was the imperial girl. Now - a goblin berserker would have jumped on her after killing the wood-elf, and probably would have cut her face into several different pieces with an ax or a sword. Probably would have bashed her skull in with a mace. This killer went after her ankles though. It hamstrung her quickly and then stabbed her right in the throat. Crude, violent, but effective. More effective and a bit more clean than a goblin berserker. The killer had no training but had experience in murder. Next was the breton woman. She did not go down quietly either. I saw the quiver of arrows on her back and her bow covered in blood. She fought back. Which is what puzzles me the most about it."

"I though you knew what had happened?"

"I do. That's what worries me."

"I don't understand."

"There is not a healing potion or spell, at least that I know of, that can heal you from eight arrows to the body and face. Not only that, being a breton she was probably very well versed in magic. I saw that blue cloak on her. She had training in ice magika. It makes no sense! Even an ogre would have thought twice about messing with her. You see those nimble fingers of hers?" Scar-Tail asked, slightly forgetting who he was talking to. "She could have shot a target the size of an apple from two hundred paces with twenty arrows before the apple became nothing more than bits. She was a very skilled archer and probably magika user. Yet there she laid. With her stomach slashed open and her bow arm cut to ribbons. How did the killer get that close to her? I saw the eight arrows lying by that tree with blood."

"Maybe it is the guy who's after me?"

"Not likely! Not unless he found a quickly fierce daedra goblin or something."

"Maybe he did."

"Apoltis - it was not him! He would not want to draw attention to himself unless he knew he had that stone of yours in sight. Besides, not in front of a major city like Bravil. He would wait to ambush us were there are no guards. I am sure the empire is not even aware of his presence."

"But the nord at The Inn Of Ill Omen?"

"Even if he did tell a guard what he saw, not one of them would have believed him. He is a nord who owns a small, very oddly named inn out in the middle of nowhere which still probably has only a few regular patrons. Nobody would believe him or them."

"Scar, I am really worried about Ra'tarnik."

Scar-Tail halted his horse a bit and looked around. He took a breath of aggravation saying, "Alright! We will wait for him." Dismounting his horse and helping Apoltis down, the two of them walked over to a random tree about ten feet from the road. Scar-Tail was on his guard as the noises of the woods sounded off. He knew most of them but he was still on his guard. He wouldn't be if a serial killer was not on the loose. His eyes gliding around the forest hearing a few noises he did not recognize.

Apoltis was sitting next to a tree, looking at his stone as he asked, "Uncle Scar?"

Scar-Tail thought he would never get use to that. It still gave him a warm feeling in his heart every time he heard it. He turned his attention almost completely to Apoltis. He still had one good ear on the noises of the woods trying desperately to catch a few things. "Yes boy?"

"What's Black Marsh like?"

A little thrown off by the question, Scar-Tail answered truthfully and honestly, "Marshy."

Apoltis just looked up from the stone having a sideways glance. "You know what I mean."

"What do you want to know about it. It is a very inhospitable place. You would not be able to make it there."

"Oh." He said, sounding hurt.

Again, Scar-Tail was thrown off as more of his attention was taken off the woods and its natural choir. "What's the matter?"

"I just thought after all of this was over with, you could take me there someday."

"No Apoltis. I cannot."

"Why?" He asked with a whine.

"I can never go back."

"You do miss your family, right?"

"I had a family, yes. And yes Apoltis, I do miss them. But when I made my decision they turned on me faster than a pack of rabid wolves!"

"What decision?"

Scar-Tail looked at the grass and slipped down the tree next to Apoltis sitting down next to the small boy, "Remember when you asked me my story back at Fort Nomore?"

"Yeah?"

"Well that's it. I will tell you my decision. It involved killing a person and I refused."

"Was it one of your family?"

"No. I probably would have had an easier time killing one of them than my target."

"This person must have meant an awful, awful lot to you."

"Never met them before. It just did not make sense to me anymore. I looked at her face and…" Scar-Tail started contemplating if he should tell Apoltis any further. That knightly ideal of his might slip away Scar-Tail not wanting to lose that. Not because of who the target was but what he had done before that.

Apoltis wanted to ask more but he could tell his scaly compatriot was hurting inside. They sat at the tree for about a minute with their backs to the trunk. They were quiet, sharing in the beauty and tranquility of the forest before the wind began to pick up.

It blew hard through the woods causing Apoltis to stand up asking, "Where is he?" Referring to Ra'tarnik.

Standing up, looking casually at the sun Scar-Tail said, "I do not know but we will never make it to Skingrad before nightfall now."

The wind ever increased and soon Scar-Tail's black mare was rearing and making a loud commotion of whinnies. She was sounding the alarm.

Scar-Tail had to actually struggle to walk against the wind grabbing the reins of his horse. He tried to calm her down but it was no use. She suddenly took off nearly taking Scar-Tail with her. Scar-Tail couldn't help but blurt out, "What in all of Oblivion?! She has never been spooked by weather!"

Apoltis looked around and asked, "Never?"

"No. Which means -" Scar-Tail said, tearing his swords from their sheathes, "It's not the weather!"

They both looked north which was the opposite direction Scar-Tail's horse had taken off in. The wind was blowing south from the north and Apoltis struggled against the strong wind to get closer to Scar-Tail. The trees all made that familiar sound of loud rustling as they were in the gale of air. It was so strong that even the most sturdy of the trees bent to the will of the wind. Apoltis grabbed a hold of Scar-Tail's armor holding on for dear life. Scar-Tail actually wrapped one of his armed arms around Apoltis's back trying to keep him safe.

From behind a tree, just twenty feet north of the two, an imperial man stepped out from behind the trunk having the strong wind blowing from his hands. At least five Dremora accompanied him. Loyal, human-looking, deadra servants to the daedra lord of chaos himself, Mehrunes Dagon.

Barely being able to see the man, Scar-Tail just held Apoltis tighter. The man walked towards the two with a slight smile as the wind escaping from his hands began to slowly die down. The trees returning to normal.

The man lowered his hands and even in the fading light of the sun, Scar-Tail could see the slight glow to the man's flesh. He wore a dark blue robe with a black-haired goatee on his face. His eyes looking dead center at Apoltis.

Squeaking out a small whimper, Apoltis told Scar-Tail, "It's him!"

Scar-Tail sort of already figured that.

The man slowly walked towards the two folding his arms behind him, stopping just ten feet from the two. His small squad of Dremora seemingly ready to mutilate the first thing that even looked at them crossways.

The man then spoke, "Ah good. You found my property." The man slipped his hand into his robe and Scar-Tail got ready with his swords. The man produced a coin purse. He threw it on the ground next to Scar-Tail's feet. "For your trouble, argonian. 2,000 gold. More than enough to keep you satiated for a while."

Shifting his head down to look at the small sack of coin, Scar-Tail hissed at it, "The boy or the stone?"

The warlock just shook his head, "Told him did you boy? Well no bother."

Another coin purse was produced from the man's robe. He threw it at the ground like before. It landed right next to the other sack not as big.

"Another thousand for you argonian. Now if you will please, hand over the boy."

Slyly, Scar-Tail shifted his head. "Why not just the stone?"

"No!" Apoltis belted out.

The man pointed at the boy and said, "See, that's why. Why not alleviate yourself of such a headache."

Scar-Tail took another short glance at the money saying to the man, "I think you can make a better deal than that!" He had no intentions of selling the boy. Not for any amount of money.

The man just made a slight, sarcastic chuckle. Looking at one of his Dremora, "He thinks I'm negotiating with him. It is to laugh."

Scar-Tail held onto the boy tighter, "If you are not negotiating then what are you doing?"

The man looked back at the argonian assassin knowing full well that's what he was. "You misunderstand. Take the gold and never look back."

"I do not think I will." Scar-Tail's voice was cold and determined. He kicked the two coin purses away from him while he still had a lock on Apoltis. Apoltis though had an even more death lock on him.

Again, another slight chuckle from the man. "Still, he believes I am negotiating."

"If you are not dealing, then what are you doing?"

The man's eyes began to swirl with magika. The color of his eyes becoming whirlpools of power. "I am giving you an ultimatum."

Looking a bit confused and loosing a bit of his grip on Apoltis, Scar-Tail asked, truly wondering, "And what is that?"

A maniacal laugh came from the man as it took him about a minute to come down from his evil euphoria saying, "Oh you sad, simple-minded lizard. Dremora - educate him."

A loud echo of daedra metal was heard as the five produced weapons of every shape and size all made out of daedric metal. Scar-Tail was more than nervous. Two had swords and shields. Another aimed an arrow right for Scar-Tail's scaly hide. One had a giant ax meaning to use it. The final seemed to be swinging something. Something that Scar-Tail thought no daedra in Oblivion wielded. It was a bola. Four balls with black, metal talons around each ball.

They began to approach and Scar-Tail stepped in front of the boy. He knew he was outnumbered. He could go invisible but that wouldn't help Apoltis. He eased down and said to Apoltis the only thing he could think to help the child, "Run!"

Apoltis took a couple quick glances at the approaching force and back at Scar-Tail. "No."

"Run!"

He thought about running but he wouldn't leave Scar. He stepped in front of Scar-Tail and held out his arms.

The man just crossed his arms in front of him and said, "Oh that's cute." He bent towards the Dremora saying, "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere in case he is thinking about leaving."

The Dremora with the bow aimed his arrow right at Apoltis quickly and let the arrow fly. The arrow flew through the air drilling itself deep into Apoltis's left leg.

The child let out a yelp and went down to the ground with the arrow sticking right out of his left leg. He grabbed it as it was just below the knee. Not enough to cause any real damage. Just enough to debilitate him.

Scar-Tail bent down holding onto the boy with concern etched on his face. He looked back at the approaching force with both swords and stepped over the child with anger in his eyes. He hissed out louder and meaner than ever. Reaching back with his sword ready to cut down one of the daedra he spun the other ready for war. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to take his revenge as the bola Dremora threw its weapon right at Scar-Tail. It wrapped around the argonian's arm throwing him to the ground by the sheer force, sticking him to the ground by the talons.

He tried to pull himself free as blood began to seep out of his wound. The closest Dremora jumped almost right on top of him raising its sword right over his head. Scar-Tail looked over at Apoltis with despair in his eyes seeing the warlock getting closer to the child with that arrow still jutting from his knee. Scar-Tail tried to free himself but all he did was rip more of his scales off. More blood came seeping from his wound. The Dremora on top with its daedric sword raised high above his head with the point staring down at the argonian seemingly hungry for his life.

Roaring out, Scar-Tail finally pulled his arm from the ground in one final surge of adrenaline smashing the wrapped weapon right into the helmet of the Dremora. The evil servant of the robed man went down hard but the chain and balls were still wrapped around Scar-Tail's arm. It had daedra blood on it and it mingled with Scar-Tail's own on the weapon making it a blood-soaked instrument of death.

Trying to get up, Scar-Tail was a bit dazed from the loss of blood. He stood on shaky legs as his vision was blurry and his arm felt like it was going to fall off. He took his other arm, still with a sword in hand, and raised it above his head. He swung at the air as another Dremora was coming after him. This one with a shield and sword. It was pounding the shield as it approached the wounded warrior.

Apoltis crawled backwards as he tried to escape from the warlock. The man just twitched his fingers and the boy stopped. Not by choice either. The man then demanded, "Give me the stone!"

Apoltis just weakly said, "No!"

"I grow weary of this! If I cannot persuade you to part with the stone, then I will force you to give it to me. Oh you will wish for death long before it comes, child. Even when you are good and ready to give me the stone, I think I will disembowel you a few more times while you are still alive. Just to get my point across."

Sad eyes glared at Apoltis as Scar-Tail watched on in horror as the warlock had the kid right where he wanted him. His eyes becoming more filled with sadness by the moment as the approaching Dremora pounded its shield harder. It raised its sword to cut the argonian's head right off. Scar-Tail swung his silver sword again with that torturous weapon still wrapped around his other arm. Blood running off the chain like rain off of a leaf. A pool was accumulating on the ground of both Scar-Tail's blood and the down Dremora.

Scar-Tail then heard the galloping horses of Death's carriage coming to get him. He heard it getting louder as he turned away from Apoltis to see his impending doom.

What he saw though was nothing short of a stupendous sight. It was Ra'tarnik standing on a painted horse with a glass battle-ax in both hands. He was standing straight up on the saddle, coming right at the robed man's army. The horse was galloping at a steady pace and Ra'tarnik leapt from the horse and buried the ax deep in the Dremora's chest. The two warriors went down and the Dremora roared out with a vicious howl as it died quickly from one shot from Ra'tarnik's new weapon, Gluttony.

Ripping the weapon from the Dreamora's chest, the khajiit berserker stood tall with the battle-ax in both hands and daedra blood covering his face. He roared out against the remaining daedra, challenging them.

Both Apoltis and the warlock looked at Ra'tarnik. Sneering at the vicious cat, the man pointed right at Ra'tarnik, speaking to his Dremora, "Get him!"

The remaining three went after Ra'tarnik. The bola one was weaponless so he waited for the other two to pass him by before trying to pry the weapon from Scar-Tail's arm. The other two went at Ra'tarnik with bow and ax in hand. The ax wielder used its dead compatriot's body as a launching pad. It jumped from the corpse and went at Ra'tarnik with its ax wound back and a death inducing roar that even made the wounded Scar-Tail take pause.

He had his own problems though as the weaponless Dremora was right on him trying to get its own weapon back. It grabbed and tugged at the weapon wrapped around Scar-Tail's arm. Scar-Tail slashed at the daedra trying to get the persistent evil creature off of him. His sword chinking off the daedra's armor as they both rolled around trying to get an advantage over the other.

Ra'tarnik went in for a slash as the daedra with its own ax blocked the attack. Two arrows buzzed by Ra'tarnik as the expertly trained khajiit twisted around his enemy going in for a slash at the bowman. He drove the ax blade deep into the throat of the daedra and nearly cut its head right off. Black blood bubbled from the severed neck with the Dremora falling to the ground nearly decapitated.

Spinning out of the way of the daedric ax slamming into the road, Ra'tarnik came around with another attack of his own but the Dremora with the ax quickly pulled it's blade from the ground blocking the attack. The two struggled against each other with both ax handles grinding on each other. The Dremora being just a bit stronger making Ra'tarnk bend backwards.

Meanwhile, Apoltis was suspended in the air as the man tried to reach for the stone but a blast of energy came from the stone. The man winced and held his hand in pain. He curled back like a wounded snake saying, "I knew that. It has to be given to me. I guess it wouldn't have been near as fun if I had just taken it from you."

Hovering in midair, Apoltis was still having tears run down his face. He barely whispered out, "I want to go home!"

Scar-Tail heard Apoltis cry. He suddenly slammed his wounded arm along with the wrapped chain into the back of the Dremora's head jamming his silver sword right into the throat of the monster. He nearly cut his own arm off in the maneuver but the blade of his sword went through the chain of the weapon wrapped around his scaly arm. Tearing the sword upwards nearly cutting the daedra's head in two, the bola came with the sword ripping it from Scar-Tail's hide. Both the bloody instrument and the daedra fell into the dirt with Scar-Tail barely able to see straight.

He could barely stand as his entire forearm was ripped apart. Blood emptied from the wound like water. The wrapped chain of the bola had stopped some of it but now the would was free-flowing.

The two axes slammed against each other four times before Ra'tarnik and the surviving daedra came to another stand still with both axes struggling against the other. The two staring at each other as the two struggled to plant the blade in the other. The two axes crisscrossed in a deadly duel.

Ra'tarnik pushed off and came at the Dremora with Gluttony back behind his head. The Dremora ducked the weapon and came at Ra'tarnik's back. The khajiit was too quick spinning on his one foot, lowering his torso, bringing his ax nearly to the ground. He caught the ankle of the armored beast and it went down like a rock. Ra'tarnik came back up with amazing agility still having his body spinning as he took both arms back behind his head feeling the ax's head with his tail and then slammed the ax right into the chest of the down Dremora. Armor, flesh, and bone all split wide open as for a split second, Ra'tarnik could see all the working organs of the Dremora. Then they were covered in black blood and the monster's head bobbed with blood pouring from it helmet. The beast was dead.

Standing victorious, Ra'tarnik went over to Scar-Tail and helped the wounded warrior to his feet. They needed some healing and fast but the strong argonian wasn't going anywhere. Not without Apoltis first.

The two began to walk towards the warlock with Scar-Tail nearly dropping his second silver sword when he picked it up. Fumbling with his two main weapons, he cried out, "Hey! You want that stone you're going to have to…"

"Silence!" The warlock threw out his hand sending the two warriors back to the ground with Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik both wounded from the fall.

The warlock began to have this dim light develop in his finger tips. Lightning traveling from one tip to another. Only in his left hand though and he raised it in front of Apoltis saying, "Now, let me see. Stripping flesh from muscle and bone is not the easiest thing to do. It requires a certain touch. Too much magika and you'll blow away the muscles and bone, not enough, and you will just end up singeing the flesh or making very nasty cuts. You want it to be just right. Just enough to," With the slight lightning in his hand, he put his thumb on his index finger as if he was flipping a page in a book and yanked down nothing but air. In actuality, a large hunk of flesh came right off of Apoltis's leg. The child screamed out in agony as the warlock continued, "Make it like wet cloth coming off of a newly forged sword."

The piece of skin hung there as Apoltis screamed as he looked down at it. He tried to reach down to put it back on somehow as blood began to pour from the wound. He could not reach down though as he was still locked in a the magical grip of the warlock.

Scar-Tail struggled to sit up as he heard Apoltis screaming. Ra'tarnik was still down taking an awful hit. Even in his imperial armor he was still hurt. Looking at the suspended kid, Scar-Tail got to his feet slowly with his silver short-sword still in hand. His other one was back in its sheath and Scar-Tail would have gone for it too if his arm was not such a mangled mess.

He began to approach the two. Loosing a lot of blood he was nowhere near his best. In fact, he felt as though a strong breeze would knock him over. He struggled to run at the warlock but he was so clumsy and so badly wounded that the warlock easily spotted him. Again, he threw out his hand and Scar-Tail went flying back. He hit Ra'tarnik who was just starting to get up.

Undeterred, Scar-Tail began to rise again fighting a battle to his feet. Ra'tarnik was quick up to his feet this time as both warriors stood ready for another attempt on the warlock.

The warlock looked over at the two as he was about to rip another piece of flesh from Apoltis's leg. He breathed out in annoyance saying coldly, "Gentlemen, do you not think this has gone on enough?"

The two warriors - tired, beaten, and exhausted - still approached him with the intent of fully slaughtering the warlock. He just smiled a bit and gave a clap with his hands. "I admire your vigor, I really do! This charade has gone on too long. Please, what is this child to you? Both of you? Do you find it so necessary to go on against a being you know you cannot beat?"

Ra'tarnik spit on the ground and said, "Witch, we have face down daedra lords before! You are barely a challenge."

The wizard turned towards the two. "Witch? Witch! You foolish cat! I am a wizard, a warlock, I am a grand high mage!" He raised his hand as a strong gust of wind began to push against the two. They struggled against the wind but to no avail. "The masters of the arcane college bend to my will! I am a master of every school of magic. I am a god amongst men! A god amongst daedra! Every creature, every soul, every merfolk, every Divine cower in fear of me! When I get my hands on this stone, nothing can stop me. Nothing! I, master mage Gorghast!"

The wind blew the two down the road way past the point were they had fallen last time. They blew like leaves in a strong gale tumbling away from Apoltis. They could not help it as they were driven back yards away.

Gorghast lowered his hand and the wind stopped. He looked back at Apoltis as the stripped flesh began to look like it was starting to get infected. "I can ease that suffering of yours, Apoltis. Just give me the stone."

Apoltis just breathed heavily saying, "Why? Why did you hurt them! They cannot even harm you! They pose no threat!" His tears choking almost every word.

Gorghast looked at the child with a sadistic smile, "You actually care for those two, eh? Well, I promise you I will not hurt them anymore. Now give me the goddamn stone!"

In Apoltis's pocket, the stone began to react. Little did Gorghast know that Apoltis was being pushed to an emotional limit. He had had enough of seeing his friends get hurt. His mind was yelling out no more. No more!

Throwing out his hands, Apoltis yelled out, "No more!"

The stone reacted pushing the warlock away. Gorghast was a bit surprised by this. He shook his head looking right at Apoltis. He snarled at the boy saying, "So, somebody like you, the stone gives limitless power to!"

Apoltis dropped from the sky falling on his bottom. He got up swiftly though and stomped his small foot on the roadway. He yelled out, "Enough!"

The roadway cracked with bright blue light blasting out of the crack. Gorghast evaded the light knowing it would burn him. He smiled manically, "If that stone can give you that kind of power, just imagine what it can do for me. It puts you on my level of magika. No telling what level it would put me on. Akatosh himself would be slaughtered under my boot heels! I must have it!"

"Never!" The stone giving the boy power again. A hard force hit Gorghast blowing him away like he had down with Apoltis's friends from before.

Standing up from the knock down of the force, Gorghast said to Apoltis a bit wounded from the throw, "I do not know why your mother could not activate it or why it has not worked for you until now. It powers your soul making it a thousand times more than what it is. I have not seen many on my level in so long." A powerful orb of destruction formed in his hand. Lightning bursting out of it. He then closed that hand with the lightning orb. The orb itself disappearing. "No. Not today. I must regroup. If the stone makes you as powerful as I am then I should plan for you better. I will bring more Dremora next time and next time, you will not catch me off guard!"

Suddenly, Gorghast disappeared into smoke sinking down into the ground or so it seemed. The smoke went with him and the stone in the boy's pocket was not glowing anymore.

Apoltis was left stunned at what he had just done. He looked at his hands wondering what had become of him. He took the stone from his pocket and asked of it, "Why? Why didn't you work for my mother? Why couldn't you save me from Sheogorath? Why?" He wanted to toss it. He wanted to break it. Anything except what he found himself doing. Putting it back into his pocket.

Scar-Tail and Ra'tarnik had seen it all. They came to the boy's side as Apoltis was crying to himself. Scar-Tail hugged the boy with his good arm and whispered, "Thank Sithis you are still alive!"

Apoltis's sobbing began to turn into an almost bellowing of tears. "Oh my god uncle, your arm!"

Scar-Tail kept Apoltis in his clutches. "It's just a scratch."

Ra'tarnik, with his face covered in Dremora blood, was breathing heavily and about to go to his knees.

Going down to his knees, Scar-Tail and Apoltis hugged each other for at least two minutes before Ra'tarnik interrupted by saying, "We have to get you two some kind of medicine!"

Letting go of Apoltis, Scar-Tail looked at the both of them, worried more about Apoltis than himself, "By the gods boy! Your legs!"

Looking down at his two legs, Apoltis saw the arrow and the hanging strip of flesh, "It hurts, uncle."

Picking the boy up with his good arm he whistled and here came the black mare from out of the woods. Scar-Tail had a hard time getting on his horse but he managed with the boy in front. He had some herbal cloths in a satchel and brought them out. They would not heal a wounds of such magnitude or even cure most of the pain but they might keep them from getting infected and would alleviate some of the pain. He wrapped them carefully on the boy's legs trying hard not too cause him too much distress. Ra'tarnik helped him with the bandages saying, "What about you?"

Scar-Tail looked at his arm in painful agony. He took the last wrap and dressed his arm as much as he could not covering it all the way.

Angrily, Ra'tranik growled out, "That's not going to be enough!"

"It will see me through to Skingrad so I can get help for the boy." The shadowscale said, caring almost nothing for his own injuries.

The sun was just beginning to set herself down for the night. The world had taken on an amber color of the setting sun and blended in nicely with what little scales Scar-Tail had left on his one arm as he bandaged it up.

Before heading off for Skingrad again, Ra'tarnik held up two coin purses and said, "I think these belong to you." The khajiit warrior put them in Scar-Tail's scaly hand.

With a half-grin, Ra'tarnik began to head for his horse when Scar-Tail said, "Ra'tarnik."

Surprised, he turned around with wide eyes seeing Scar-Tail throw the smaller gold purse. He grabbed it looking at it shocked.

"For services rendered khajiit."

"What services?"

"You saved my scaly tail back there. You deserve it."

Ra'tarnik made a slight growl, "You know, a simple thank you would have sufficed."

"Sufficed - yes. Gratified - not hardly." He then took off on his black mare with Ra'tarnik bouncing the coin purse in his paw.

He went to his painted horse and got on. He put away the purse and grabbed the reigns of the horse with a growl of discomfort from his own injuries. He could feel his bones ache and his muscles throb with severe bruising. Bending down on his horse he said to himself, "I think I might actually start liking you argonian. Ugh, if that is not a displeasing thought!" He snapped the reigns of the horse and the horse reared back taking off at a long but slow gallop.

Even though the spirit of the horse was willing it was very weak. Old age had made it strong mentally but had turned its body into mush. Still, it galloped along a lot faster than Ra'tarnik could. All the way to Skingrad.


	11. Know The Enemy

**(A/N: So long since I've update but I have a memory like an elephant. This chapter took so long to finally complete. I just got sidetracked and many of you who began reading this have probably lost interest. I don't blame you one bit. I will try to be quicker with the chapters but I have so much I am working on at the moment that this is a far cry. However I will try to make the next chapter a bit more prompt and not take another 10 months to upload!)**

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Night had fallen on Cyrodiil. Scar-Tail's black horse had made it easily to the east gate of Skingrad. The two guards outside looked at the dark argonian a bit nervous. A large gash in his arm with a scared little boy on the back of his coal-black mare. The guards at the east gate did not like it one bit.

The one to the right asked, "What business do you have in Skingrad?"

Scar-Tail was tired, hungry, and he was barely keeping his eyes straight. "I - umm - request entrance for me and the boy and the idiot cat behind us."

The two guards both looked behind the dark horse and saw nothing. They figured he was delusional as they looked at the large wound on his arm.

Apoltis then began to plead with them, "Please, my uncle is hurt. Allow us passage into the city!"

The two guards looked at each other and then opened the two large, wooden doors into the city. Scar-Tail snapped the reigns on his horse as it galloped in. The guards began to close the city gate doors when Ra'tarnik came up the path yelling out, "Wait!"

The guards did as they were yelled at with the heavily armored khajiit racing into the city, yelling back at them, "I ride with them." Referring to Scar-Tail and Apoltis.

Again, the two guards looked at each other, the one saying to the other, "Why do I feel as if I am not going to be wearing this uniform tomorrow?"

The other guard answered, "Probably the same reason I do."

The two closed the large doors wondering what they had just let into the city.

At a high paced trot, the black mare came to a sudden halt near an alchemy shop as Scar-Tail carefully got off his horse with his wounded arm. Apoltis followed suite and came rushing over to his uncle. Scar-Tail sat down near the alchemy shop looking at his gnashed arm as it shook with pain. His nerves were damaged and he would need more than potions to heal himself.

Ra'tarnik came galloping up to the two as he quickly dismounted his horse bringing it to a quick stop nearly pouncing off the back of the old yet sturdy horse. He went to the side of Scar-Tail as the shadowscale looked at the khajiit. "Blue day in Oblivion I let you help me to my feet."

Ra'tarnik smiled that cat-like smile of his saying, "I was worried, doesn't mean I am going to help." Looking down at the wound, "Doesn't look like I could either."

Apoltis gave him a longing stair of aid for Scar-Tail. Ra'tarnik looked around as all the shops were closed. Mounting back up, Ra'tarnik said to the both of them, "If I am not back in ten minutes, take him to the Two Sister Lodge on the south side of town. You will find it."

Scar-Tail looked up at Ra'tarnik and said, "I will show him there if need be." Referring to Apoltis.

Cocking his head, Ra'tarnik asked, "You have been there before?"

"A few times." Scar-Tail weakly stuttered out.

Nodding his head, Ra'tarnik nearly took off on his horse when he looked over at Apoltis. He couldn't help but blurt out, "By the Nine!"

Scar-Tail looked over at Apoltis and saw the arrow was gone and that all that remained on Apoltis's legs were the herbal wrappings. Bending over the boy with pain in his other arm he stripped the wraps off seeing that the wounds had healed themselves. As if nothing had happed to him.

Apoltis was confused and shrugged his shoulders, "What? It must have been the stone! Uncle, your arm!"

Regaining his objectiveness, Ra'tarnik took off on his painted horse riding like a mad-cat in the night through the streets of Skingrad.

Scar-tail looked at Apoltis and breathed out a long sigh of exhaustion, "So, we've got some time to kill. Mind telling me why you keep calling me uncle?"

Scar-Tail's directness threw Apoltis a bit off guard. "I - I thought that's what - what you were now. It seemed to fit you too."

A toothy grin crossed Scar-Tail's face. "Well, if that's the case, do you not think I should know a little more about you?"

"Oh-no! Its your turn, remember?"

"I would like to listen to you rather than me. Tell me about your mother. What kind of woman was she? Tell me how she hatched you?"

"Scar, I am an imperial. We do not hatch out of eggs like you."

"Whatever, you know what I meant!" He said feeling a jolt of pain surge through his arm.

Apoltis looked at the ground wondering if he should talk about her. "She was a good woman. I did not see much of her in the early hours of the day. During the evening though, I could not get away from her. We always did something different everyday." He began to relax and fade off into memory. "No matter what we did she always had this golden smile when I was with her."

Scar-Tail lost himself in Apoltis's voice. He began to fade in and out of consciousness listening closely to Apoltis even though he could barely keep his eyes open. The sweet story putting him into a relaxed state. He liked listening to the boy. It made him wish his childhood had been as delightful.

Looking down at his cloak, Apoltis began to tell that story. "I still remember when she got me this. We had played up until that night. It had rained a bit and a cold wind blew through Hackdirt. My skin was wet and it felt like my flesh was turning into ice. I told her I was cold and she told me to stay outside. When she left, it got colder somehow. Like the lack of her presence caused the temperature to drop even more. I felt so alone until she came back out and she draped this cloak over me. She gripped me tightly and said, 'Here. Even when I am not there, this will be there for you. You will never not know my touch. Even when I am gone this cloak will be there and will always keep you warm when the chill of darkness becomes its coldest.' I thanked her and we must have hugged each other for ten minutes or more."

Lost in the memory, Apoltis felt something on his shoulder. He looked over at Scar-Tail who was touching his shoulder with his good arm. He was rubbing it like it had been injured. Scar-Tail muttered out, "I am sorry Apoltis. I wish I could give you that kind of love that only a mother could give you."

Apoltis brushed away some tears saying, "Ah, it is okay uncle."

"No! No it's not." Scar-Tail said, sitting up a bit from the short winks his body was trying to take. He pulled Apoltis close to him saying, "I never knew my brood mother."

"You never knew your mother?"

Scar-Tail shook his head. "I was trained right from birth to be - to 'serve' the royal court of Argonia. I never knew the idea of a gift or a parent. Too busy being what 'they' wanted me to be." He looked down the street and saw Summitmist Manor. He nodded his head toward the large estate which made Apoltis look at the large house.

"Summitmist Manor. My first, real stealth assignment. I was about seven or eight. Most fun I ever had was hiding in that cellar. Each one of those little sheep -" Scar-Tail then stopped and decided not to finish remembering who he was talking to.

Apoltis asked, "Sheep? Were you helping a farmer?"

Scar-Tail looked at Apoltis and could not lie to him. "I was helping a group of butchers."

"Why would they need help killing sheep?"

"Because I was one of those butchers."

Apoltis was still confused but then he heard the clopping of horse hooves. Looking the other way came Ra'tarnik with another person on the back of his horse. When he was close enough he brought the horse to a stop and the person in the back dismounted the horse along with Ra'tarnik.

This person was dressed in light blue robes as he bent down to Scar-Tail. He put his hands over Scar's arm and a light blue glow came from the robed person's hands. Scar-Tail went for one of his short swords but Ra'tarnik stopped him saying, "Halt Scar! He is here to help."

The man in the robe dropped his hood looking at the khajiit. The fear in his eyes was more than evident. He weakly squeaked out, "Who are you people?" A young voice asked fitting the young face under the hood. A breton in his late teenage years with his red eyes filled with fear. His hands began to shake as Apoltis came up to him asking sheepishly, "They are my bodyguards. Can you please help him?"

The young Breton looked back down at the wounded argonian, "I can only do so much here. An expert in restoration is needed for this."

Apoltis asked with worry in his voice, "Do you know of such a person?"

Without hesitation, the young breton said, "I do." Looking back at Scar-Tail, he asked, "Can you ride?"

Snaking his way up the wall of the alchemic shop with his wound glowing a bright blue, Scar-Tail said with a little of the pain being relieved in his arm, "For a while yet, I can. Lead the way."

Getting onto his black mare slowly, Scar-Tail hefted himself on the horse with Apoltis mounting behind. It was hard for him without the help from Scar-Tail. Feeling a little energy left in the mare, Scar took the reigns loosely as she reared a bit and clopped her hooves on the ground raring to go.

Following the khajiit warrior, the brenton and Ra'tarnik both mounted the other horse and rode off for the Mages' Guild building. Their ride was swift and in less than a minute they had arrived at the front door.

Nearly falling off his horse, Scar-Tail dismounted barely standing on his feet. Apoltis jumped down quickly to help him. He tried desperately to hold up the argonian but he struggled with the bulk of scales and muscle.

That was when Ra'tarnik came over and aided Scar-Tail in walking to the building. Ra'tarnik had a hard time too his body racked with pain. His metal armor chaffing his bruises and making his own ligaments feel hefty.

Looking over at the cat, Scar-Tail said with pain ripe in his voice, "You know, I thought about shoving you away."

"I know." Ra'tarnik replied with a growl.

"If it had not been for the boy struggling with me I would have."

Another low growl for Ra'tarnik, "I know."

The four nearly charged in but the breton slowed them. The doors were unlocked as there was always somebody awake to protect the guilds' belongings. Unfortunately it was the breton this night.

Ra'tarnik asked of the beton, with Scar's good arm slung over his shoulder, "Is there somewhere were he may rest?"

"Of course."

He lead the three to a well-furnished room. The curtains were a deep, dark purple and a alchemic workbench sat in the left hand corner. A large dresser to the right hand side in the back next to a full size bed. It looked so comfortable that Scar-Tail needed no help getting to it. He launched himself at the bed and landed softly on the mattress. He rolled under the covers breathing a hiss of comfort.

Sneering, Ra'tarnik said sarcastically, "Yeah, you're welcome."

The breton came around the armored khajiit saying, "He should be okay there for now."

"Yeah, he looks it." Ra'tarnik said, turning his back on Scar-Tail.

That was around the time Apoltis came up to the breton with his hand outstretched, "My name is Apoltis."

Looking at him with a sideways glance, the breton disregarded his clear need for a handshake. Whether it was out of shyness or rudeness Apoltis wasn't too sure.

"My name is Morecaster. Hanavin Morecaster." He passed by Apoltis and out the door saying as he left, "Come, the arch-mage must know of your presence here."

Looking up at Ra'tarnik, Apoltis asked, "Not very friendly, is he?"

Ratrarnik took a couple of steps towards the small boy giving him a pat on the back saying, "He's a Breton, Apoltis. Not many of them are. And people are less friendly to others that haul them away instead of asking them to go somewhere."

The two walked out of Scar-Tail's bedroom with Apoltis asking his khajiit friend as they followed the Breton, "You forced him to help?"

Morecaster casually looked back answering the boy's question, "He most certainly did! Barging into my quarters like a sabre cat from Oblivion!"

His heavy guard armor sounded as though it was going to put Ra'tarnik right through the wooden floor boards as he walked. Growling at Morecaster he said with a jeer and a show of his teeth, "I may have barged in but I don't like asking for help twice."

Thinking about Ra'tarnik's words, Apoltis decided to inquirer, "Wait, you asked twice?"

Again, Morecaster answered the boy's question, "I was busy with my studies."

They turned a few corners and were nearly to the arch-mage's chamber when Apoltis grabbed a hold of Morecaster's robes nearly swinging him around, infuriated, "Tell me it is not so?! That a student of healing people didn't want to heal?! How in Akotosh's name does that make sense?!"

Morecaster with a dull stair and a snarl to his lips retorted, "I have work child that I must complete! If I do not, my grades will fall and I will be booted from the Mages Guild as a student! You're scaly friend is of little concern to me, you insolent little whelp!"

Suddenly, Morecaster felt the edge of Ra'tarnik's ax against his throat as he was forced against the wall by the edge. Ra'tarnik spoke with his teeth bared in a snarl of lion-like fury, "I would watch my tongue as you speak to this boy when I am present, elf! And consider yourself lucky his scaly friend is ill otherwise you wouldn't have a head to speak of. Keep these little pieces of information in mind for the next time you feel testing your arrogance on him." Relieving the ax's blade from the Breton, Ra'tarnik returned it to his back and Morecaster felt his throat just making sure it was still intact.

That was about the time the arch-mage himself opened his chamber door being awakened by all the commotion. He was a high elf with long, white hair. He had a little more weight on him than most high elves as his yellowish skin was a darkened gold. Nowhere near as dark as Scar-Tail's scales but dark for the skin of an altmier. He looked at the boy, the khajiit, and the bosmer student with a half-a-sleep smile. Very uncharacteristic for a high elf.

Bowing in his presence, Morecaster began pleading, "Arch-mage Alcandur, please forgive the obscene lateness of the hour but I had no other choice!"

Shaking his head, the arch-mage Alcandur was trying to get himself aware, "What time is it?"

"It is two in the morning sir."

Blinking with exhaustion, Alcandur's smile did not fade as he said in a gentle tone, "New students?"

Morecaster looked at the two and then back at his master, "Umm, no sir, they are…"

Apoltis interrupted him, "Grand master sir, we seek your aid, sire."

Letting out an almost child-like laugh, Alcandur bent down to get a good look at the boy's face with a smile, "Sire? I am not the king of anything, dear boy."

Morecaster rolled his eyes saying, "Arch-mage, these two came for restoration help."

Alcandur stood up from the boy starting to get back some of his senses, "They do realize we specialize in destruction, don't they?"

"Yes well, I tried to convince the khajiit of that but he wouldn't listen."

Looking at the cat, Alcandur asked Ra'tarnik, "It is very late, please state you business so that I may return to bed."

Staring a bit sideways at the altmier, Ra'tarnik was cautious of this overfriendly high-elf, "One of our party was injured by a daedric weapon and he is…"

Alcandur quickly shut his bedroom door right in the group's face. They were all left awestruck until he came back out with arch-mage robes on and a book in hand with the restoration symbol on the cover. He marched out of the room with a determined look on his face heading instinctively right for Scar-Tail's room. He didn't even look at the group behind him as he asked, "How long ago was he attacked?!"

Apoltis was the first to answer, rushing along with the others, "About several hours ago."

"Which type of weapon was it?"

Apoltis had to think about it before answering but it was Ra'tarnik who answered, "A bola."

Alcandur stopped outside of Scar-Tail's room door and looked back slowly at the warrior khajiit, "A bola? I did not believe daedra carried such weapons."

With a toothy sneer, Ratarnik replied, "This one did."

Nodding his head, Alcandur entered Scar-Tail's room with the large book telling everyone to leave him alone in the room. He shut the door firmly as Apoltis looked up at Morecaster, "I thought you said he was a master at restoration?"

Morecaster sat down on a seat in the hallway saying, "He is. Well, his master mage was."

Feeling week in his knees, Apoltis nearly fell down on the floor with Ra'tarnik sitting down right next to him. With worry in his cat-like eyes, Ra'tarnik concernedly asked, "Hey little champion, are you feeling ill?"

Swallowing hard the boy looked at his good cat friend saying, "I do not. My stomach just feels - empty. It feels like it did when my mother died." tears welling up in Apoltis's eyes.

Ra'tarnik put an arm over the boy's shoulder saying to him, "You know, I have met plenty of fighters, soldiers, and adventures in my day. You're scaly friend in there is probably one of the toughest I have ever seen."

"You know he didn't even know his own mother?!"

"That's very sad. I knew mine."

"What was she like?"

"Oh, she use to talk about the sands of Elsweyr all the time while moving from town to town. One day we were moving camp when these badits came. They killed her."

Morecaster and Apoltis both were shocked by this. Ra'tarnik's head hung low thinking about that day.

"I'm so sorry!" Apoltis said.

Taking a long breath, Ra'tarnik gave one of those toothy grins to Apoltis saying, "Oh, I learned to live with it. And - I got the bandits eventually."

Overcome with curiosity, Morecaster asked, "What did you do to them?"

Ra'tarnik couldn't really remember. All he could remember was there was a lot of blood involved. He looked at the Breton saying, "It wasn't pleasant for them."

Alcandur emerged from Scar-Tail's room fifteen minutes later saying to the group with a glazed over look in his eye, "He will be fine. I tell you, I do not know where he received such a horrible daedric wound but it was probably one of the worst I have ever seen." He looked at Apoltis and Ra'tarnik, "Good thing you got him here when you did!"

Shaking his head, Morecaster said, "Good, now I can get back to my studies and…"

"Not so fast my pupil. First, I'd like to know just where these three ran amuck such vicious daedra?" Alcandur said to Morecaster.

With a pretentious sneer, Morecaster said, "Probably in some accursed cave they should not have been in. Maybe looking for miners to steal from or the like."

Ra'tarnik growled at Morecaster and struggled not to grasp his battle-ax. "Do not dare call me a thief! Especially after the story I have told you!"

Trying to restore some order, Alcandur asked Apoltis, "Young lad, can you recall the events?"

Looking at Ra'tarnik and the Breton who stayed calm so the boy could retell the tale, Apoltis began, "He wants my stone."

Alcandur was a bit confused. "Your stone?"

"Yeah. Gorghast - the man that killed my mother."

Nearly falling back against the wall, Alcandur sat down on the floor feeling light head and taken back by shock. Morecaster came to his aid holding the arch-mage's hand, "Arch-mage, what is it? What have they done to you?!"

Looking as though he had been hit by a heavy mace, Alcandur said back, "Nothing. It's just shock really. It will go away soon. Gorghast! Gorghast - I have not heard that name in well over half-a-century!"

Apoltis and Ra'tarnik looked at each other.

Still a little shaken but standing now with help from Morecaster, Alcandur said, "Come, into the study. You must know what you face." Exhaling with stoutness, Alcandur lead the way to the study as Morecaster, Ra'tarnik, and Apoltis followed him.

Making a few twist and turns down some hallways and then proceeding down two flights of stairs, they entered a huge circular room wall-to-wall with books. An altmier female sat behind a desk with a book that seemed short but for some reason seemed to have the girl's complete attention. She was about to say something when Alcandur stopped her saying, "Malfintia, Where are the books I had from my college days?"

With a confused look on her face she whispered out shyly, "I recall them being in a display case."

Alcandur picked a section of shelves and walked brazenly towards it. The other three followed while Malfintia just kind of blinked and went back to the book she was reading, The Strapping Argonian Slave.

Finding the display case with the books, Alcandur produced a key and opened the case like he was opening a tomb of a great king. He picked up one of the books and set it down on a table next to him. The other three sat at the table with bright torch light abound to illuminate the book well.

Flipping through the pages in a hurry, Alcandur said with a concentrated look on his face and his eyes glued on the book, "This is a historical recording of everyone who attended the Mages' College when I went to school there. It has drawn portraits and bios of them all. He must be somewhere in here!"

Ra'tarnik hissed out, "Gorghast?"

Alcandur was busy flipping the pages.

"He didn't look barely over the age of forty."

Still flipping the pages, Alcandur retorted, "You can do much when you are -" He stopped on a page, turned the book around for the others to see, "The bishop-mage of the college and to the empire."

The three looked at the picture and saw his face. There it was like it had been this evening.

Apoltis was first, "That's him!"

Ra'tarnik came next, "I do not understand. How can he still look middle-aged when this portrait was taken over fifty year ago?"

Morecaster was last, "What's a bishop-mage?"

Alcandur made a slight nod to Morecaster, "My dear student, you're so young. You don't remember when the empire was recruiting mages from the Altmierie Dominion. He was trained here in Cyrodiil but soon left to practice necromancy and conjuration where he wouldn't be judged feeling he had learned everything he needed to from this part of Tameriel. He became a powerful warlock and became lead advisor of magic and magika to the Imperial Empire. That is what a bishop mage is.

I even remember why he was at the college. Some of the students had been a bit - shall we say - too ambitious."

Ra'tarnik took a sideways glance at Alcandur, "I could take a guess that I've met one of those rowdy magika users."

Morecaster was mortified, "How dare you accuse the arch-mage of being such an unruly whelp of…"

Alcandur interrupted, "I was the one who recommended it to the others."

Shocked, Morecaster looked over at his teacher and said, "But…"

"Hush Morecaster. These good people deserve to know the power they trifle with." Returning to the story. "I was one of the best students in destruction and just started on some of my illusion and restoration. Making rats and wolves appear. Couldn't keep them for too long but only a few seconds was all I needed to scare a few of the girls. I tell you when they screamed and their undergarments were in full display, shaking like -" Alcandur looked at the others at the table. He cleared his throat and continued on. "Anyway, I was up for punishment and the Bishop Mage himself was to discipline me. Now, I had been discipline before…"

"You had?!" Morecaster asked flabbergasted.

"Sure! This was not a first time I had done such things though it was one of the safest. Usually it was setting a small portion of their bed sheets ablaze or freezing the water as they bathed. That was a personal favorite of mine."

Ra'tarnik shook his head trying to hide a slight smile knowing the exact reason any male would want to see a female in cold water.

"At the time, Bishop Mage to me was just a title and nothing more. I disregarded it as many others I had. He entered the chambers the same way too. As pompous and proud as any of the other mages at the college. Though, unlike most of the others, he didn't acknowledge me. He just sat down and began reading." Alcandur's voice had changed. His pleasant demeanor was gone. Replaced by a sad voice of foreboding. A slow, scared volume to his words now as he recalled what had happened to him in his youth.

"Sitting there looking at the volumes of books around us and the fading sunlight I sat. I wondered if he was going to punish me at all. Seemed to be such a lousy punishment, sitting in a chair. He couldn't keep me in that chair. So I thought.

I finally commented to him, 'Excuse me?' He didn't say anything. So I said louder and more charged with my own arrogance, 'Am I going to be punished or not?' He just sat there and said to me, 'You are already being punished.' I remember thinking to myself again that this was a light punishment. Still, I decided to inquire further. For I had things to do. That was when I rose from the chair and he slammed the book down on the table and said, 'Sit!' I did just that. Not out of fear mind you but because I had no control over my body. When my body hit the chair it felt as if I had fallen back into a thousand tiny spikes. All of them piercing my flesh at once. Pain had I never felt before or even to this day as I had felt on that day. My screams were pain filled and loud but he stood up and said, 'Silence!' My very tongue seemed to choke me at that point. Gagging on my own appendage inside my mouth I remember my body going limp and -" Alcandur stopped remembering things from his past he really dared not remember for a long while but he looked at young Apoltis and found courage to continue on for his sake. He began to make hand gestures now as he spoke. Almost as if he was trying to pull the words from his mouth.

"I should have fallen out of the chair but I stayed. In that chair. A chair I had sat in so many times before now felt like a torture device I had never been privy to. Like I had entered some other alternate world. Some wild nightmare plain of Oblivion that looked very reminiscent of my college. That was when he began to rend the flesh from my bones. Being a master of all magic he could tear me asunder and put me back together like nothing happened. One of the worst things he did was let me out of that room."

Apoltis leaned forward and touched Alcandur's hand. "Why? Surely you'd be happy to exit that room."

Alcandur looked back at Apoltis, "Because I survived his torture. Some of the things he did to me I will not repeat. I will say for three hours I was in that room. When he was done with me he was aggravated and I understood not - not until I got back to my own bed. He had put some accursed spell on me that would make all the pain I had felt last for days. Never calming and never settling until those days were over. When he left after a week or so I understood then why he had been angry with me. He knew I was unbreakable. He threw a lot at me and I did not break. My friends were not so lucky. By week's end I had lost all of my friends either to madness or suicide."

Growling with anger, Ra'tarnik asked, "Nothing could be done?!"

Shaking his head, Alcandur said, "Of course not! The most powerful wizard in all of Tamriel with the support of the Empire and the Altmeir Dominion, I think not."

Apoltis slid off his chair and felt the stone. He swallowed and looked at Ra'tarnik. The kahjiit warrior looked back at the kid worried, "What is it, little champion?"

Thinking, staring at the stone floor, "I'm going to give him the stone."

Alcandur rushed over to Apoltis before anybody else could say anything, "No! Apoltis - There is a bad reason he wants that stone. I don't know what it is but -" Alcandur struggled for words.

Ra'tarnik didn't. "He'll just kill all of us anyway. I know people like him."

Blinking at his friend, "No. If I give it to him then he might just get rid of me."

"And that would be a good thing?!" Ra'tarnik growled nearly roaring out in anger. He was starting to get mad.

Alcandur looked at Apoltis sadly, "I'll answer for you. It wouldn't be. You must live."

Crying, Apoltis asked, "Why? For a stupid stone?"

"No!" A voice came from behind the rest. Scar-Tail stumbled in the room barely standing on his feet and Apoltis ran over to him. Alcandur in shock said, "In the name of Akatosh! How is he even conscious?!"

Scar-Tail slid down the stone wall and was breathing labouredly. He seemed to have several thousand pounds on his back. He was down on both knees as he hugged Apoltis. The two looked at each other and Scar barely edged out, "You - mean more to - me - than anyone - I have - ever - known." Scar's scaled hand gripped Apoltis's shoulder hard and lovingly. "I - kid you can't - what would your - mother think?!"

Morecaster got up in shock. "How is he even talking?!"

Alcandur was in stone silence. "Be ready. He might change any minute."

"What do you mean?"

"I had him under a relaxation spell. Keeping him calm. The restoration I used on him activated his body's will to survive and protect. He is in a wide awake nightmare if I hadn't calmed him. I can already tell its wearing off."

Apoltis looked down at the stone of the floor. "She's dead uncle. I know that now. She doesn't care about me anymore."

"That's - not true. You made a promise to her. Keep it Apoltis. Sometimes - all we are - is our word sake." Scar-Tail stood up and patted Apoltis on the back holding the boy close as he struggled to stand when he looked up. All manor of demons were in the room. Apoltis felt Scar's grip get tight around him. Scar hissed out, "Who are all of you?!" Unsheathing his sword. "you will not get him I swear it by everything he holds dear. I swear it on his mother's grave!"

Alcandur rushed behind Scar-Tail, the argonian assassin not even aware of his presence. He grabbed his sword arm and tried to keep him from striking at the invisible demons. Yelling out, Alcandur struggled with the lean strength of the argonian, "Help Morecaster. We need to get him back up stairs."

Stepping away from the argnian as he swiped the air. Apoltis having to duck from being hurt. Scar hissing out with primal survival and instinct. "You're trick don't effect me. Apoltis stay close!"

Again, Alcandur yelled out as he was slung around by Scar-Tail, "Morecaster, help me please!"

All the apprenticing mage did was back up faster.

Roaring at Morecaster, Ra'tarnik made him fall over himself with fear, "Coward!" Swiftly moving he grabbed Scar-Tail all by himself nearly pushing away Alcandur. He struggled against Scar not knowing the lean argonian was this strong. Hauling him up, step-by-step, Ra'tarnik got him back to his room with Alcandur racing in shutting the door. Apoltis raced up the steps but met the closed door.

The two were only busy with Scar-Tail for a few minutes coming back out of his room with him lightly sleeping and them slightly exhausted. Apoltis hugged Ra'tarnik as he hugged him back. He then said to Alcandur, "I think your apprentice needs some education in the art of backbone."

Taking in a long breath, Alcandur said, "I think you may have a point."

Apoltis let go of Ra'tarnik, "Is he going to be okay?!"

Smiling showing those large, white teeth of his, Ra'tarnik answered, "He'll be fine by morning. Just needs some rest. Speaking of which -" Looking at Alcandur, "Do you have anywhere me and the tyke could rest?"

Alcandur smiled. He lead them to a room. Two beds which both Ra'tarnik and Apoltis quickly went to. Apoltis getting comfortable with Ra'tarnik shedding his armor climbing into the other. Standing by the side of the door, Alcandur said with a slight smile, "Your argonian friend will be up before you. I will send him your way."

Going to leave, Alcandur heard Apoltis speak.

"Alcandur?"

He turned to face the boy.

"Thank you. For all that you have done."

"You are welcome child. Be careful out on all of your journeys. No matter where they lead never give into Gorhast. Never."

Nodding his head, Apoltis watched the ach-mage close the door and he snuggled down to rest. His dreams filled with Gorhast's face and his mother's. Both in nightmarish visages making him sleep unsoundly.


End file.
